An Israeli hacker group known as Gonjeshke Darande, or Predatory Sparrow, has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that disrupted operations at nearly 70% of gas stations in Iran. According to Iranian state media, the attack caused disruptions at 70% of the gas stations in the country, although the Iranian Oil Ministry clarified that only 1,650 out of the 3,800 gas stations it supervises were affected.
Gonjeshke Darande, through posts on a Telegram page reportedly belonging to them, stated that the cyberattack was carried out in response to "the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region." They warned Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, that "playing with fire has a price" and that this attack was just a taste of what they have planned.
The group also claimed that the cyberattack was conducted in a controlled manner to limit potential damage to emergency services. They stated that they had delivered warnings to emergency services across the country before the operation began and ensured that a portion of gas stations were left unharmed.
This is not the first cyberattack carried out by Gonjeshke Darande against Iran. Last year, they hacked a steel company in southwestern Iran and targeted Iran's fuel distribution network in 2021.
The Israeli government spokesperson, Tal Heinrich, declined to comment on Iran's claims regarding the cyberattack.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for Iran's gas station association stated that a software problem with the fuel system had been confirmed in some stations across the country and that experts were currently fixing the issue.
As of now, it remains unclear the extent of the damage caused by the cyberattack and how long it will take for the affected gas stations to resume normal operations.