The hacker group Lab Dookhtegan has claimed responsibility for disrupting the communication networks of 116 ships belonging to two major Iranian shipping companies.
As reported, this marks one of the largest attacks on Iran’s maritime operations, which are vital to the country’s oil exports.
In a statement on Telegram, the group said, “In an unprecedented move, we successfully disrupted the communication network of two Iranian companies that, among various terrorist activities, are responsible for supplying munitions to Houthis.”
The attack, which the group asserts was timed to coincide with U.S. military actions against the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis, severed the ships’ communication with each other, their ports, and external channels.
Moreover, the group claims that these companies are involved in selling Iranian oil at discounted prices, with China being a major purchaser, while also allegedly supplying munitions to the Houthis in Yemen.
Lab Dookhtegan has stated that by disrupting the ships’ communications, it has severely impacted operations, and notes that the full restoration of the affected systems could take weeks.
