Tehran Points Finger at Israel Over Gas Station Chaos
Traffic's a nightmare: two-thirds of Iran's gas stations operate at a reduced capacity due to a mysterious software problem. Oil Minister Jawad Ojji blames the "Zionist enemy" and the USA for the predicament. Israel and cyberattacks? Déjà vu!
Since the early hours of this morning, petrol stations nationwide have been hit by a software glitch. This glitch has affected the smart payment system at the pumps, causing a ripple effect that's left around two-thirds of the country's 90 million residents grappling with limited fuel supply. President Ebrahim Raisi urged Oil Minister Ojji to swiftly resolve the issue and investigate the cause, ensuring regular updates to the public.
The Iranian business news platform, Ilna, echoes the suspicion of an Israeli cyberattack as the culprit. Iranian refinery company NIORDC affirmed the presence of an adversarial plot, without denying a possible hacker group's role.
Gondshek-e Darande: The Evasive Hackers
According to The Times of Israel, a shadowy hacker group named "Gondscheschk-e Darande" claimed responsibility for the incident. The group, notorious for past cyber assaults such as the targeted steel industry, allegedly took aim at Iran's petrol distribution system. The Tasnim news agency, tied to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, dismissed rumors of exorbitant fuel prices or scarcity. A Telegram post confirmed that the issue was solely technical, with subsidized petrol remaining accessible.
Flashback to October 2021: Iran's Cybercrime Chronicle
Iran experienced a streak of cyberattacks in the past, including one in October that crippled the nation's fuel distribution system for an entire week. The incident prompted a series of traffic jams and lengthy queues outside petrol stations. Reminiscent of a flashpoint in 2018 when escalating fuel prices ignited public protests violently suppressed by the regime, this episode demonstrated Iran's vulnerability to digital sabotage.
Further Reading:
Iran's accusations of cyberattacks in the past, against both the United States and Israel, raise questions about the sensitive cyber battlefield that exists between the three nations. As the investigation proceeds, NIORDC vaguely hints at a plot orchestrated by enemies, fueling speculations of Israeli involvement in the cyberattack.
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