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.



Thousands Protest Housing Crunch, High Rents in Barcelona

Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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Thousands Protest Housing Crunch, High Rents in Barcelona

Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Thousands of Spaniards rallied in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination.
People held up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living,” and “The people without homes uphold their rights.”
The issue has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world.
The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in country with chronically high unemployment.
Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they renovate it and boost the price.
“Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.”
A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters in that strained economic circumstance.
“We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory.