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4,300 gas stations damaged in cyber attack in Iran: "Executed by a foreign country"
A day after the severe disruptions, long queues are still dragging outside the gas stations.
Tehran hints at foreign involvement, but has yet to impose responsibility on any country.
Raisi: "The attack is intended to provoke anger among the public by creating chaos and disruption"
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Iran
gas stations
Cyber attack
News agencies
Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 12:15 Updated: 12:16
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Iran said today (Wednesday) that gas stations were back in operation, a day after an extensive cyber attack, but long queues were still recorded at their entrance. At one station there was a queue of 90 cars, and those who bought fuel bought it at non-subsidized prices. The state television channel reported that 4,300 stations have experienced disruptions across the country since yesterday.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said the cyber attack was intended to "cause anger among the public by creating chaos and disruption." He said, "There should be significant preparation in the cyber field and the relevant bodies must not allow the enemy to realize its goals and create problems in the lives of the citizens." The cyber attack took place ahead of the second anniversary of the 2019 fuel protests, which were violently suppressed by the regime after the deaths of hundreds of protesters.
The secretary of the Supreme Cyber Council said the details of the attack and its source are under investigation.
"This attack was most likely carried out by a foreign country. It is too early to declare which country this is and how it did so," Abulhasan Pirozabadi said yesterday.
He linked this attack to an attack on Iran's railway systems in July, which was attributed by the Israeli cyber security company Check Point to a group of hackers known as "Indra", named after the Hindu god of war.
Even then, Khamenei's "64411" was used.
In August, videos documenting severe violence in the infamous Ewen prison were leaked in another cyber attack.
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"The attack was most likely carried out by a foreign country."
Queue at a gas station in Tehran, yesterday (Photo: GettyImages, Fatemeh Bahrami)
"Disruptions in the last hours in the refueling systems at the stations were caused by a cyber attack," the state television channel reported yesterday.
"Technical experts are working to fix the problem and soon refueling will return to error."
A photo posted on social media from one of the stations read "Cyber Attack 64411" - the phone number in the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In another document posted on social media, a billboard was seen on a highway that read: "Khamenei, where is our fuel?".
Tehran gas station, yesterday (Photo: GettyImages, Fatemeh Bahrami)
The oil ministry said only fuel sales using smart cards, which lower the price, were harmed during the cyber attack and customers could still purchase fuel at a higher price. Officials have assured that there is no shortage of fuel and that the rest of the stations will reopen tomorrow at noon.
The Islamic Republic was the target of the most famous cyber attack in history, when the "Stuxnet" virus hit its nuclear program more than a decade ago. According to popular belief, it is created by Israel and the United States. On the other hand, the United States, Israel and Western countries have themselves blamed Iran for cyber attacks against their vital infrastructure.
Cheap fuel is considered a kind of innate right in Iran, which has the fourth largest oil reserves in the world, despite decades of economic sanctions. Drivers who benefit from subsidies buy a liter of fuel for 15,000 rials - five cents - compared to twice the regular price. The attack also took place on the birthday of the last Shah who fled Iran in 1979 before the Islamic Revolution.
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