The U.S. government is warning that hackers linked to Iran are stepping up their cyberattacks and are now going after critical infrastructure in the country to cause disruption.
In a joint advisory released on Tuesday, agencies including the FBI, NSA, CISA, and the Department of Energy said these attackers are exploiting internet-connected systems used across sectors like water utilities, energy facilities, and local government networks.
Officials said the attacks are already having a real impact, leading to operational issues and financial losses, though they did not name specific targets. The focus of these attacks is on systems like programmable logic controllers and SCADA products, which are used to control industrial equipment and essential infrastructure. According to the advisory, the hackers were able to manipulate what operators see on these systems and interfere with key configuration files that control how the equipment works.
The agencies described this as a clear escalation in tactics, with hackers moving beyond typical cyber activity and targeting systems that directly affect physical operations. They suggested this shift may be linked to the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28 after air strikes that killed Iran’s leader.
The warning also comes at a time of rising political tension. Earlier the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a strong message on social media, saying that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not agree to a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global shipping.
Since the conflict began, a group known as Handala, believed to be backed by Iran, has been connected to several major cyber incidents. One of the most notable involved a breach at U.S. medical tech company Stryker, where attackers reportedly wiped thousands of employee devices using the company’s own security tools. The FBI has also linked the group to the leak of part of FBI Director Kash Patel’s private email account.
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At the same time, the conflict is not limited to cyberspace. Iran has also reportedly carried out missile and air strikes on U.S.-owned data centers in the region, leading to disruptions in cloud services and adding to the overall instability.
