Iran’s cyber forces have many ways to attack U.S., experts warn

U.S. officials and private experts are warning that Iran may retaliate against the United States for bombing its nuclear facilities with any of a wide range of cyberattacks that could cause lasting damage or significant psychological impact.

There were no reports of suspected Iranian cyberattacks against U.S. assets Monday, and the FBI declined to say whether it had seen activity below the surface. Most experts expect Iran to pursue cyber actions calibrated to not elicit a forceful American response.

In the 15 years since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran with the early cyberweapon known as Stuxnet, a computer worm that infiltrated computers in Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and damaged critical centrifuges, Iran has devoted itself to building its own capabilities to a point well beyond those of other countries its size.

It has unleashed its most destructive software on such varied targets as the rival state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco, where it knocked out 30,000 computers in 2012 and halved its oil production, and the Sands casino business two years later, when it was controlled by American Sheldon Adelson, a zealous advocate for Israel.

Iran-linked groups have more recently focused on disrupting Israeli targets. It has claimed responsibility for hacking the country’s missile alert systems and for leaking a think tank’s documents to the public since the current round of violence began two weeks ago. Since this weekend’s U.S. raids, pro-Iran accounts on Telegram and X have threatened retaliation against American targets as well.

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