Hackers Claim Responsibility for Disruptions at Iranian Gas Stations

A hacking group has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against Iran's fuel distribution network that led to long queues at gas stations across the country on December 18.

A group called the “Gonjeshke Darande,” or Predatory Sparrows, said the attack was a retaliation for the Iranian government's "evil provocations in the region."

Oil Minister Javad Owji said that services have been disrupted at about 70 percent of the country’s gas stations, adding that outside interference is a possibility. 

"A software problem with the fuel system has been confirmed in some stations across the country and experts are currently fixing the issue," Reza Navar, a spokesperson for Iran's gas stations association, told the semi-official Fars news agency. 

Navaz insisted that there is “an ample supply of gasoline available."

Fars reported that the possibility of a cyberattack has not been ruled out.

Mandana Sadeghi, a journalist from Abadan, reported that fuel supplies were halted in at least four areas of the southwestern city.

Residents of the Iranian capital, Tehran, and the northeastern city of Mashhad also reported disruptions in fuel distribution.

There were reports of conflicts arising between customers at gas stations, prompting police intervention.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Oil dismissed rumors of an impending increase in gasoline prices as "baseless fabrications."

In recent years, Iran has seen a series of cyberattacks on its gas stations, railway system and industries.

Surveillance cameras in government buildings and prisons have also been hacked.

In 2022, the Gonjeshke Darande group hacked a major steel company in the southwest of the country.

A cyberattack on Iran's fuel distribution system in 2021 paralyzed gas stations across the country.