Iran 'foils second cyber-attack in a week' Published duration 15 December 2019 Related Topics Gulf crisis

image copyright EPA image caption Cyber-attacks aim to take over - or cripple - entire computer systems

Iran has foiled a second cyber-attack in less than a week, the country's telecommunications minister says.

The minister did not give details. A similar claim was made about Wednesday's "massive" attack.

In June this year, Iran's weapons systems came under a cyber-attack, US media reports suggested.

What was attacked in Iran?

Without giving further details, the minister said servers and hackers had been "tracked".

Last Wednesday, Mr Jahromi told Iran's official Irna news agency that a "massive" cyber-attack had targeted Iran's electronic infrastructure.

A day earlier, the minister had dismissed reports that millions of Iranian bank accounts had been hacked.

Why did the US attack Iran in June?

According to the Washington Post newspaper, the US attack in June disabled computer systems controlling rocket and missile launchers.

It was in retaliation for the shooting down of a US drone as well as attacks on oil tankers that the US has blamed Iran for, the New York Times said.

image copyright EPA image caption The attack targeted rocket and missile systems operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

The US is set to impose further sanctions on Iran that President Trump has described as "major".

He said the sanctions were needed to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and economic pressure would be maintained unless Tehran changed course.

Tensions between the US and Iran have risen since the US last year pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reinstated sanctions, triggering economic meltdown in Iran.