Cyber attack disrupts fuel stations across Iran: media

Supply services at a majority of fuel stations across Iran were interrupted Monday due to technical faults, Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry reported.

"The technical malfunction at some of the country's fuel stations was caused by enemies' conspiracies to impact Iranian people's welfare," Shana quoted a statement by the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) as saying.

The statement said experts and specialized working groups were working to resolve the problem, adding that all disrupted fuel stations would return to normal in a few hours.

According to the NIORDC, fuel at the country's petrol stations "will be supplied offline until further notice."

Jalil Salari, head of NIORDC, told local media that the supply disruption, which took place at 60 percent of the country's petrol stations, was due to the malfunction of the point-of-sale systems and online payment.

Salari, also Iran's deputy oil minister, gave the assurance that all these petrol stations would resume supply by the end of Monday.

Citing informed sources, Iran's IRIB news agency reported that the disruption could be "an act of sabotage" perpetrated abroad.

Israeli media said the gas station shutdown across Iran was a result of a cyberattack by an Israel-linked hacker group dubbed "Gonjeshke Darande" or "Predatory Sparrow."

In 2022, the group claimed to have hacked a major steel company in southwestern Iran.