Cyberattack Shuts Down 70% of Gas Stations in Iran

On Monday, nearly 70% of gas stations across Iran were rendered inoperable due to a suspected act of sabotage-a cyberattack-according to Iranian state television. Journalists reported that the disruptions at gas stations were caused by a “software problem.” Authorities urged people to avoid traveling to the few stations that remained operational.

State TV quoted a statement from Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum, which confirmed that more than 30% of the country’s gas stations were still functioning. Iran has approximately 33,000 gas stations in total. About 1,650 stations continued to operate, while others were forced to manage their pumps manually.

The Israeli-linked hacker group Gonjeshke Darande (also known as Predatory Sparrow) claimed responsibility for the incident. In their Telegram channel, the hackers stated, “This cyberattack is a response to the aggression of Iran and its allies in the region.”

Furthermore, on the social network X (formerly Twitter), the hackers announced that “the attack was carried out in a controlled manner.” They claimed to have warned emergency services nationwide in advance and ensured that some gas stations remained unaffected.

It’s worth noting that in 2022, Gonjeshke Darande hacked a major steel company in southwestern Iran. In 2021, another attack on Iran’s fuel distribution system paralyzed gas stations across the country, resulting in long lines of motorists. At that time, experts from Check Point noted that “given the sophistication and scale of [Gonjeshke Darande’s] attacks, the group is either run or sponsored by a government,” although the group’s members claim to be independent hacktivists.