One of Iran’s major banks, Bank Sepah, was targeted by a cyberattack on Tuesday amid escalating military tensions between Iran and Israel, according to the Fars news agency, as reported by the Times of Israel.
“An hour ago, a cyberattack targeted the infrastructure of Bank Sepah, causing disruptions to the bank’s online services,” Fars reported, adding that the issue “should be resolved within the next few hours.” Users also reported on social media this morning that Sepah’s banking services went offline.
A hacking group known as “Gonjeshke Darande” (“Predatory Sparrow”), previously linked to Israel, claimed responsibility for the operation, saying it destroyed data belonging to the US-sanctioned Iranian bank.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gonjeshke Darande said: “Bank Sepah was an institution that circumvented international sanctions and used the people of Iran’s money to finance the regime’s terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program, and its military nuclear program.”
The group added: “This is what happens to institutions dedicated to maintaining the dictator’s terrorist fantasies. We thank the brave Iranians whose help made this operation possible.”
Gonjeshke Darande has claimed responsibility for several cyberattacks against Iran in recent years, targeting gas stations and a steel factory, among others according to the Israeli media stated above.
Israel generally maintains a policy of ambiguity regarding its cyber operations against Iran and does not officially claim responsibility for such attacks.
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