According to “media sources,” there was a “massive cyberattack against operating systems and servers of the Tel Aviv Metro,” Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency reported Monday.
The report was based on the Telegram channel of Sabareen, a militant Palestinian group. Iran will often launder rumors online to try to make them appear to be reality. At other times, it uses this method to disseminate information it wants communicated to the public.
What did the report actually say?
After reports of the “attack,” a clarification was made that the cyberattack was actually against a company that is involved with construction of the Tel Aviv regional subway system, Fars reported. This is because the Metro, which will eventually augment the Tel Aviv Light Rail, is still under construction and is embroiled in a political dispute in Israel.
This was the “second time that the government websites and servers of the Zionist regime have been targeted by cyberattacks from Iraq,” the report said. “The latest attack of this type dates back to the end of last June.”
![Iranian flag and cyber code [Illustrative] (credit: PIXABAY)](https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/t_JD_ArticleMainImageFaceDetect/433124 "Iranian flag and cyber code [Illustrative] (credit: PIXABAY)")
This was one of several cyberattacks, including one last year that “disabled the largest transport company of the Zionist regime,” Fars reported.
Other reports based on Sabareen’s Telegram channel have asserted that Iraqi hackers targeted “Israeli digital intelligence” and that the hacker group “Al-Tahera” in Iraq was involved.
Kayhan News in Iran also reported on the alleged incident. Fars said the same group was linked to the claimed incident this week.
In April, the same Telegraph channel claimed hackers had targeted Israel’s Airport Authority. The April attack was said to be retaliation for the US killing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.