Iranian Vice President Criticizes Fuel Station Vulnerability to Cyberattacks

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref during the introduction of the new Oil Minister in Tehran (Jamaran News)
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref during the introduction of the new Oil Minister in Tehran (Jamaran News)
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Iranian Vice President Criticizes Fuel Station Vulnerability to Cyberattacks

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref during the introduction of the new Oil Minister in Tehran (Jamaran News)
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref during the introduction of the new Oil Minister in Tehran (Jamaran News)

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has expressed concern over the vulnerability of the country’s electronic fuel distribution system to cyberattacks. His remarks come as the new government, led by Masoud Pezeshkian, looks to raise fuel prices.

Speaking at the introduction ceremony for the new Minister of Oil, Aref highlighted recent electronic breaches that disrupted Iranian oil facilities, including the network connecting fuel stations, causing nationwide supply interruptions.

He criticized the negligence in handling cybersecurity in the oil sector, urging the new minister to prioritize the issue.

“We have seen two similar [cyber] attacks within a year, and the response hasn’t changed,” he noted.

In December 2023, Iran’s fuel station network was hit by a major breach. The previous government blamed hackers linked to Israel and its ally, the United States, following a similar strike on a hospital in northern Israel.

The Iranian National Organization for Passive Defense reported that 3,800 of the country’s 4,396 fuel stations were disabled by the attack, impacting 60% of stations. Officials did not immediately acknowledge the breach until a hacking group known as “Predatory Sparrow” claimed responsibility.

The group, reportedly connected to Israel, said the attack was “carefully executed to avoid harm to emergency services” and was a response to “aggressions by the Islamic Republic and its agents in the region.”

The attack caused significant disruptions, particularly to government-issued fuel quotas distributed through a digital card system, which provides drivers with subsidized monthly fuel allocations.

Although authorities announced that stations resumed operations within 48 hours, Iranian media reported ongoing distribution issues for several days.

A previous cyberattack by “Predatory Sparrow” on October 26, 2021, disabled 4,300 fuel stations in Iran. The hackers also breached large electronic billboards across Tehran, displaying the message: "Where is the gasoline, Khamenei?”

The attack occurred shortly before the second anniversary of the Nov. 2019 protests, which followed a sudden increase in fuel prices.



Russian Missile Attack Forces Ukraine to Shut Down Power Grid

 A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Russian Missile Attack Forces Ukraine to Shut Down Power Grid

 A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)

Russia on Wednesday launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas despite freezing winter weather, officials said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it launched a strike on “critically important facilities of gas and energy infrastructure that ensure the functioning of Ukraine’s military industrial complex.” It didn't give the target locations or other details.

The barrage came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry vowed a response to what it said was an attack on Russian soil using multiple Western-supplied missiles.

Kyiv hasn't confirmed that attack, though it said Tuesday that it hit an oil refinery and a fuel storage depot, a chemical plant producing ammunition and two anti-aircraft missile systems, in a missile and drone attack that reached around 1,100 kilometers (almost 700 miles) into Russia.

Long-range attacks have been a feature of the nearly three-year war, where on the front line snaking about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from northeast to southern Ukraine, the armies have been engaged in a war of attrition. Russia has been advancing on the battlefield over the past year, though its progress has been slow and costly.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 43 missiles and 74 drones overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said. A total of 30 missiles and 47 drones were shot down, and 27 drones failed to reach their target, it said.

The Russian missiles sought out targets from the Lviv region in western Ukraine near Poland to Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine bordering Russia. The state energy company Ukrenergo reported emergency power outages in six regions. It often shuts down production during attacks as a precaution.

“The enemy continues to terrorize Ukrainians,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook.

Electricity supplies resumed to households in some areas by the middle of the day, but Ukrenergo urged customers to avoid using power-hungry electrical appliances.

Russia has repeatedly tried to cripple Ukraine’s power grid, denying the country heat, electricity and running water in an effort to break the Ukrainian spirit. The attacks have also sought to disrupt Ukraine’s defense manufacturing industry.

Last September, the UN refugee agency reported that Ukraine had lost more than an estimated 60% of its energy generation capacity.

Ukrainian authorities try to rebuild their power generation after the attack, though the barrages have eroded production. Western partners have been helping Ukraine rebuild.

“It is the middle of the winter, and Russia’s goal remains unchanged: our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

He urged Western partners to accelerate the delivery to Ukraine of promised air defense weapons, emphasizing that “promises have been made but not yet fully realized.”