Hackers breach Iran’s atomic energy agency as protests persist
- Anonymous hacking group claims responsibility, demanding Tehran release political prisoners arrested in the recent nationwide protests
- Group says it leaked 50 gigabytes of internal emails, contracts and construction plans related to Iran’s Russian-backed nuclear power plant in Bushehr
Iran’s atomic energy agency alleged on Sunday that hackers acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign country broke into a subsidiary’s network and had free access to its email system.
An anonymous hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack on Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, demanding Tehran release political prisoners arrested in the recent nationwide protests.
The group said it leaked 50 gigabytes of internal emails, contracts and construction plans related to Iran’s Russian-backed nuclear power plant in Bushehr. It was unclear whether the breached system contained classified material.
The protests first focused on Iran’s state-mandated hijab, or headscarf, for women but soon grew into one of the most serious challenges to the country’s ruling clerics. Protesters have clashed with police and even called for the downfall of the Islamic Republic itself. Security forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrations, killing over 200 people, according to estimates by rights groups.
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Deadly fire at Iran’s notorious Evin prison that houses activists and political prisoners
Iran’s civil nuclear arm said hackers breached the email system used by the company that runs the country’s sole nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr. The agency blamed a “foreign country” for the attack, without elaborating. Iran has previously accused the United States and Israel of cyberattacks that have impaired the country’s infrastructure.
“These illegal efforts done out of desperation are for attracting public attention,” the organisation said.