2 US defense officials say Israel hacked Iran’s gas system last month — NYT - The Times of Israel

2 US defense officials say Israel hacked Iran’s gas system last month — NYT - The Times of Israel

Israel carried out a cyber attack against Iran’s nationwide fuel system last month, two United States defense officials told the New York Times in a report published Saturday.


Days later, Iran-affiliated hackers breached an Israeli LGBTQ dating site and released details of its users in a cyber attack that roiled Israel.


The exchange points to a new trend of targeting civilians in the shadow war between Israel and Iran. The two attacks appear to be the first that caused widespread harm to civilians, auguring an escalation in the cyber conflict as softer targets are drawn into the line of fire.

The hack of Iran’s gas distribution system began on October 26, shutting down civilian gas pumps and broadcasting digital messages blaming Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.


The cyber attack brought all of the country’s 4,300 fuel distribution stations to a halt, resulting in traffic jams, long lines at gas stations and other transportation problems.




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Technicians were able to fix some pumps within days, but the stations could only sell expensive, unsubsidized fuel. The distribution system did not fully recover until nearly two weeks later.


The attack took place close to the two-year anniversary of mass protests against the government over fuel prices and appeared designed to sow chaos and stoke anti-government sentiment.


At least one Iranian official at the time blamed Israel and the US for the attack.


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An official in Iran’s Oil Ministry and an oil dealer
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