Iran Responds to Israeli Cyber Attack

 Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi visiting a gas station in Tehran on Wednesday (AFP)
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi visiting a gas station in Tehran on Wednesday (AFP)
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Iran Responds to Israeli Cyber Attack

 Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi visiting a gas station in Tehran on Wednesday (AFP)
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi visiting a gas station in Tehran on Wednesday (AFP)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Wednesday that the cyber-attack that disrupted the sale of heavily subsidized gasoline in the country aimed to stir chaos and anger citizens.

“We have to be seriously prepared in the field of cyber warfare,” stressed Raisi in statements to state media. He noted that the cyber-attack was an “attempt to annoy citizens.”

Tehran responded to the Israeli attack by publishing information about the life of Security Minister Benny Gantz, and personal details of hundreds of soldiers in one of the Israeli army brigades.

Tuesday’s disruption of fuel services came ahead of the second anniversary of the bloody protests that swept Iran due to the sharp rise of fuel prices in November 2019, which later turned into political demonstrations calling for the resignation of the country’s senior rulers.

State television quoted Iranian authorities as saying that the distribution of gasoline would return to normal within hours.

Oil Minister Javad Oji confirmed that 3,000 gas stations had resumed their activities normally out of the 4,300 petrol stations, which were affected by the attack.

Abul-Hassan Firouzabadi, the Secretary of the Supreme Council to Regulate Virtual Space, confirmed that the disruption at the refueling system of gas stations which lasted a few hours was caused by a cyber-attack.

He explained that a report would be announced within 7 to 10 days, adding: “Although this cyber-attack was controlled, it created many problems.”

Israel admitted that in the wake of the cyber-attack that hit gas stations in Iran, hackers in Tehran published personal details about the life of Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and personal details of hundreds of soldiers in one of the Israeli army brigades.

Sources in Tel Aviv said on Wednesday that the Iranian hackers were members of a group calling itself the “Moses Stick,” which leaked files containing details of the deployment of an army combat brigade, including job descriptions, a full list of names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and residential addresses of members of the brigade.

Israeli Ynetnews also reported that photos of Defense Minister Benny Gantz were posted by the group, along with a threat that he was being surveyed by the hackers.

All the information was shared on the dark web and in groups of the Telegram messaging app, the agency added.

Israeli security expert on Iranian affairs Amir Menashe said that despite Iran’s announcement of the restart of about 1,000 gas stations, the disruption is still ongoing.

He added that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence censored the news and arrested a number of journalists, who had published reports and photos.



Trump’s UN Envoy Pick Waltz Says US Needs Strong Voice to Counter China

Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz waits for the start of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 15 July 2025. (EPA)
Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz waits for the start of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 15 July 2025. (EPA)
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Trump’s UN Envoy Pick Waltz Says US Needs Strong Voice to Counter China

Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz waits for the start of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 15 July 2025. (EPA)
Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz waits for the start of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 15 July 2025. (EPA)

The United Nations needs reform and the United States must have a strong voice to counter China, Mike Waltz, US President Donald Trump's pick to be his UN envoy, said on Tuesday, adding that he is "confident we can make the UN great again."

Waltz - a retired Army Green Beret and former Republican lawmaker from Florida - is one of the last major Trump nominees awaiting likely confirmation by the US Senate. He appeared before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday as part of that process.

"We should have one place in the world where everyone can talk, where China, Russia, Europe, the developing world can come together and resolve conflicts" Waltz told the committee. "But after 80 years, it's drifted from its core mission of peacemaking. We must return to the UN's charter and first principles."

His remarks largely echoed what Trump has said about the world body.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced in March that he was seeking ways to improve efficiency and cut costs as the UN turns 80 this year amid a cash crisis.

"The UN has ballooned to over 80 agencies with overlapping missions that waste resources and, if confirmed, I'll push for transparency, like what we're seeing in the Secretary-General's UN80 reform plan calling for a 20% staff cut," Waltz said.

He said UN peacekeeping plays an important role, but also needs reform.

Washington is the UN's largest contributor - followed by China - accounting for 22% of the core UN budget and 27% of the peacekeeping budget.

The UN has said the US currently owes a total of $2.8 billion, of which $1.5 billion is for the regular budget. These payments are not voluntary.

The United States was also one of the world's largest humanitarian aid donors, but the Trump administration has slashed billions of dollars in foreign assistance, including to UN agencies.

'BLOCK AND TACKLE'

Waltz was Trump's national security adviser until he was ousted on May 1 after he was caught up in a March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides. Trump then promptly nominated Waltz as his UN ambassador.

"The use of Signal was not only authorized, it's still authorized, and highly recommended," Waltz said on Tuesday. He later clarified it was not authorized for sharing classified information and that no classified information had been shared in the March Signal chat.

Waltz repeated long-held US criticisms of the UN - that Washington pays too much at the 193-member world body, that it is anti-Israel and that China is building too much influence.

"We have to block and tackle Chinese influence," Waltz said. "America must have a strong voice and, if confirmed, I'll work with Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio to challenge this influence."

Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has maintained the wary stance on multilateralism that was a hallmark of his first term between 2017 and 2021.

So far, Trump has stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and ordered a review of the UN cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the Paris climate deal and the World Health Organization.

When asked about Waltz's confirmation hearing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday: "Our message to all member states is: if you're not fully pleased with what's going on in this organization, engage with the other member states in this organization."