New US Cyber Attacks On Iran
The United States could launch a new cyber-attack on Iran in response to the recent drone attack on two major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. According to NBC News, the Trump administration is considering a cyber attack or a physical strike on Iranian oil facilities or assets of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the country’s Armed Forces.
Following news of the attack, President Trump tweeted that the US is “locked and loaded,” but NBC says a covert cyber-attack or increased sanctions are more likely as Trump and the Department of Defense are deeply reluctant when it comes to a military response. Others believe that President Trump might not be satisfied with a cyber-attack.
“Even if a potential measured response was identified, perhaps a cyber attack on Iranian facilities, for which no one claims responsibility, it would be harder to effect when Mr Trump sees discretion as an absurdity and demands personal glory at every turn,” British Guardian newspaper.
This would not be the first time the US has launched a cyber-attack on Iran. In June, reports emerged that the United States has already conducted a hacker attack on Iran’s missile control systems and a spy network in response to the shooting down of an American surveillance drone.
The cyber-attack included a hack on the database used by the Revolutionary Guard to plot attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, is said to have caused significant damage, but so far the Iranians have denied the claims.
The US and Israel is also said to be responsible for the 2010 Stuxnet attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. It was revealed recently that an Iranian mole recruited by Dutch intelligence helped the United States and Israel plant the Stuxnet malware.
The US has also reportedly launched cyber-attacks against North Korea and Russia, and the government of Venezuela has blamed their power outages that occurred earlier this year on a cyber sabotage operation conducted by the United States, although many experts are sceptical about those claims.
Although Iran has denied involvement in the recent attacks, but now senior US officials told the media that Tehran launched both drones and cruise missiles against the Saudi oil facilities. The attack disrupted global oil supplies which led to a spike in oil prices.
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