Iran is grappling with a massive wave of cyberattacks targeting its government agencies and critical infrastructure, adding to the country's growing domestic and international challenges.
The cyberattacks, which began on Saturday, have severely disrupted operations across Iran's judiciary, legislative, and executive branches, with sensitive data reportedly stolen from key networks.
Former secretary of Iran's Supreme Council for Cyberspace, Abolhassan Firouzabadi, confirmed the breach, revealing that Iran's nuclear facilities and essential sectors such as fuel distribution, transportation, and municipal networks were also targeted.
These attacks come at a time of escalating tension in the region, following Israel's vow to retaliate for a recent missile barrage launched by Iran that struck Israeli targets. With ongoing conflicts intensifying in Gaza and Lebanon, Iran finds itself under increasing pressure from both regional and global powers.
In a precautionary response to the cyber threat, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization has banned most electronic communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, from airplanes, fearing that they could be exploited for further attacks.
In a related development, the US has announced the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Israel, along with US troops to operate it. This move came just hours after Iran warned the US to keep its military forces out of Israel. As tensions continue to build, Israel appears to be preparing for a military response to the missile attack launched by Iran on 1 October, which involved around 180 missiles being fired into Israeli territory.
