TEHRAN – Deputy chairman of Iran’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that Iran will take pre-emptive cyber action against the centers which launch cyber attacks against the Iranian facilities.

“A research center has been established in Imam Hussein University to conduct research on this subject,” Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi told the Mehr News Agency on Saturday.“This research center will plan pre-emptive operations against the known centers that launch cyber attack on our facilities so that they can not take such actions against us,” he explained.He went on to say that Iran will take action within the framework of the relevant international regulations, but those who mount cyber attacks on Iran should not expect that Iran will not take reciprocal action against them.The general added that the Armed Forces will also take measures to prevent the computer virus like Stuxnet from infecting the computer systems of the organizations and companies in Iran.In September, Associated Press reported that a complex computer worm dubbed Stuxnet has infected many industrial sites in Iran and is capable of taking over power plants.Stuxnet is a computer worm that attacks industrial systems and spies on them and reprograms them.Iranian officials confirmed that some Iranian industrial systems were targeted by a cyber attack, but announced that Iranian engineers are capable of rooting out the problem.Iranian officials said, “An electronic war has been launched against Iran.”Reportedly, a state may have been involved in creating Stuxnet and using it against Iran.Later a working group composed of representatives from the communications industries and defense ministries and the Passive Defense Organization was set up to find ways to combat the spyware.