Iran points at Israeli-linked group as cyberattack disrupts fuel network | News

Tehran says Israel-linked Predatory Sparrow group is behind the disruption.

A cyberattack has disrupted providers at round 70 p.c of Iran’s gasoline stations, in response to experiences.

The Israel-linked group Predatory Sparrow, or Gonjeshke Darande in Persian, claimed on Monday it was behind the disruption, in response to Iranian state TV. Israel media shops additionally reported the declare.

“This cyberattack was carried out in a managed method to keep away from potential injury to emergency providers,” Predatory Sparrow stated in its assertion quoted by the Iranian media.

A press release on the assault was shared from a brand new account with the group’s title opened in early December on X.

Iran’s civil defence company, which is accountable for the nation’s cybersecurity, stated it was nonetheless contemplating all doable causes for the disruptions because it investigated.

Iranian state media added that the hacker group has previously claimed cyberattacks in opposition to Iranian petrol stations, rail networks and metal factories.

The gasoline outages are the primary such incident since 2021, when a serious cyberattack in Iran disrupted the sale of gasoline, inflicting lengthy queues at stations throughout the nation.

Pump costs in Iran are closely subsidised. Iran accused Israel and america of being behind these assaults.

Stations working manually

The disruptions started early on Monday and had been particularly acute in Tehran. Many petrol stations have been pressured to function their pumps manually, Iranian media reported.

“At the least 30 p.c of gasoline stations are working, with the remaining progressively resolving the disruption in providers,” Oil Minister Javad Owji stated.

Reza Navar, a spokesman for Iran’s gasoline stations affiliation, had instructed the semiofficial Fars information company {that a} technical subject was behind the disruption.

“A software program downside with the gasoline system has been confirmed in some stations throughout the nation and specialists are at present fixing the problem,” Navar stated.

Navar added that there was no gasoline provide scarcity however known as on drivers to not go to gasoline stations.

The Ministry of Petroleum earlier instructed state TV that the disruption was not linked to plans to extend the value of gasoline, a coverage that induced widespread protests in 2019 and led to violent repression.

State TV stated petrol stations had been searching for to offer gasoline manually and that it might take at the very least six to seven hours to resolve the issues.

Israel has not but commented on the cyberattack.

Israel’s unit on cyberattacks on Monday stated Iran and Hezbollah had been behind an tried cyberattack on a hospital in northern Israel about three weeks in the past.

It stated that the assault was thwarted however that the hackers had been capable of retrieve “among the delicate info saved within the hospital’s info programs”.