Iran has blamed the US and Israel for a cyber-attack which it said caused widespread disruption to petrol stations on Monday, according to reports.
Oil minister, Javad Owji, reportedly told state TV that 70% of the country's petrol stations were impacted.
Impacted outlets were apparently forced to disconnect their digital systems and supply customers manually.
Iranian citizens benefit from some of the lowest fuel prices in the world thanks to generous government subsidies which can be redeemed by using a state-issued card.
Plans to increase prices back in 2019 led to violent protests and clashes with the security forces.
Iran supplies both Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels with money and arms.
Both have been active in the region since Israel's retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, with the former firing daily missiles into Israel and the latter stepping up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
That could make Monday's attacks in Iran an attempt to persuade Tehran to intervene in a fast-growing crisis in the Red Sea, which has seen the lane all but closed to cargo vessels.
Experts believe this could soon send inflation soaring again globally.
Predatory Sparrow has previously been linked to a cyber-attack which started a fire at an Iranian steel factory last year.
This Cyber News was published on www.infosecurity-magazine.com. Publication date: Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:35:27 +0000