Mass Cyberattack Cripples Major Iranian Banks as Recovery May Take Weeks
A major cyberattack has caused severe disruption in Iran’s banking system, with at least eight leading banks seeing near-total shutdowns of their online services and payment terminals. The outage began about 10 days ago at four banks and has since spread to additional institutions, including Bank Melli, Bank Tejarat, Bank Saderat and Bank Pasargad.
The Informatics Services Company, which manages the banks’ shared computer and payments infrastructure, said it temporarily and deliberately disconnected card-based services to prevent unauthorized access and protect customer assets and data. The Coordinating Council of Banks in Iran tried to calm the public, saying no illegal intrusion into databases or customer data leaks had been identified so far, despite long lines at branches.
Meysam Zohourian, a member of Iran’s parliament economic committee, said after an emergency meeting with the economy minister and the central bank governor that investigators still have not identified the source or cause of the main attack. He said, “Despite investigations by various bodies, the origin and cause of the main attack have still not been discovered, and even replacing hardware did not solve the problem.”
Zohourian added that the incident appears to be more than a simple technical failure and may reflect a deeper crisis in the country’s banking infrastructure. Officials in the discussions estimated that full restoration of digital computer systems and a return to normal operation will take at least two more weeks. The attack comes as the United States is holding direct talks with Tehran, easing Iranian assets and allowing the regime to sell oil, and speculation is focusing on a foreign actor, with Israel viewed as a likely suspect.
