Water Under Iranian Target: "Their Desire Is to Create Fear and Awe"
Iran is utilizing cyberattacks against water infrastructure as a tool of hybrid warfare. Experts note that the goal is not only technical damage but also psychological pressure on the population.
The Middle East is one of the most arid regions on Earth. While oil and natural gas are abundant, the most basic resource for human existence is often in short supply: water. On the Arabian Peninsula, countries rely primarily on seawater desalination or the desalination of groundwater from rapidly depleting aquifers. Israel and Iran also face water crises, which Tehran has turned into a resource for targeting its enemies.
On Saturday, it was reported that seven states in the US were affected by a cyberattack against water systems, with Iran being the primary suspect. In 2020, it was revealed that Iran carried out a cyberattack on water facilities in Israel, and in 2023, attacks were directed against Israeli control components at water facilities in the US.
"The motivation is to create fear, and the psychological element is the leader," explains Dr. Eyal Pinko, an expert on strategy, cyber, and intelligence from the Begin-Sadat Center at Bar-Ilan University. "The psychological element is very important to create fear and awe—an important part of the Iranian concept—and also to achieve military, economic, and political gains. It is part of their combat scale and is inseparable from the war efforts. Iran does not act alone; they have strategic collaborations with China, Russia, and North Korea to develop cyberattack tools."
