SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Iran has blamed Israel and US for a virus attack last year that reportedly targeted Bushehr nuclear plant. The existence of Stuxnet became public knowledge around the time that Iran began loading fuel into Bushehr, its first nuclear reactor, last August. (AFP)
Iran 'Targeted by New Computer Virus'
Official says Stars - the second virus to attack country's network in eight months - is under investigation by experts.
Apr 25, 2011
Iran has been targeted by a new computer virus in a "cyber war" waged by its enemies, according to a senior military official of the Islamic republic.
Gholam Reza Jalali, commander of civil defence, told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Monday that the new virus, called Stars, was being investigated by experts.
"Certain characteristics about the Stars virus have been identified, including that it is compatible with the [targeted] system," he said.
He said that Iranian experts were still investigating the full scope of the malware's abilities.
Jalali played down the impact of Stars, but said it is "harmonious" with computer systems and "inflicts minor damage in the initial stage and might be mistaken for executive files of governmental organisations".
He did not say what equipment or facilities the virus targeted, or when experts first detected it.
Stars is the second serious computer worm to hit Iran in the past eight months.
Iran was hit with another computer worm, Stuxnet, last year, reportedly designed to hurt Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
The country has accused the US and Israel of launching Stuxnet, which was publicly identified last June and reportedly mutated and infected at least 30,000 computerised industrial equipment in the following months.
The existence of Stuxnet became public knowledge around the time that Iran began loading fuel into Bushehr, its first nuclear reactor, last August.
Iran said in September that staff computers at Bushehr had been hit but that the plant itself was unharmed.
Bushehr is still not operational, having missed several start-up deadlines. This has prompted speculation that Stuxnet damaged the plant.
But Iran said its scientists discovered and neutralised the malware before it could cause serious damage.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Iran has been targeted by a new computer virus in a "cyber war" waged by its enemies, according to a senior military official of the Islamic republic.
Gholam Reza Jalali, commander of civil defence, told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Monday that the new virus, called Stars, was being investigated by experts.
"Certain characteristics about the Stars virus have been identified, including that it is compatible with the [targeted] system," he said.
He said that Iranian experts were still investigating the full scope of the malware's abilities.
Jalali played down the impact of Stars, but said it is "harmonious" with computer systems and "inflicts minor damage in the initial stage and might be mistaken for executive files of governmental organisations".
He did not say what equipment or facilities the virus targeted, or when experts first detected it.
Stars is the second serious computer worm to hit Iran in the past eight months.
Iran was hit with another computer worm, Stuxnet, last year, reportedly designed to hurt Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
The country has accused the US and Israel of launching Stuxnet, which was publicly identified last June and reportedly mutated and infected at least 30,000 computerised industrial equipment in the following months.
The existence of Stuxnet became public knowledge around the time that Iran began loading fuel into Bushehr, its first nuclear reactor, last August.
Iran said in September that staff computers at Bushehr had been hit but that the plant itself was unharmed.
Bushehr is still not operational, having missed several start-up deadlines. This has prompted speculation that Stuxnet damaged the plant.
But Iran said its scientists discovered and neutralised the malware before it could cause serious damage.
Iran has been targeted by a new computer virus in a "cyber war" waged by its enemies, according to a senior military official of the Islamic republic.
Gholam Reza Jalali, commander of civil defence, told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Monday that the new virus, called Stars, was being investigated by experts.
"Certain characteristics about the Stars virus have been identified, including that it is compatible with the [targeted] system," he said.
He said that Iranian experts were still investigating the full scope of the malware's abilities.
Jalali played down the impact of Stars, but said it is "harmonious" with computer systems and "inflicts minor damage in the initial stage and might be mistaken for executive files of governmental organisations".
He did not say what equipment or facilities the virus targeted, or when experts first detected it.
Stars is the second serious computer worm to hit Iran in the past eight months.
Iran was hit with another computer worm, Stuxnet, last year, reportedly designed to hurt Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
The country has accused the US and Israel of launching Stuxnet, which was publicly identified last June and reportedly mutated and infected at least 30,000 computerised industrial equipment in the following months.
The existence of Stuxnet became public knowledge around the time that Iran began loading fuel into Bushehr, its first nuclear reactor, last August.
Iran said in September that staff computers at Bushehr had been hit but that the plant itself was unharmed.
Bushehr is still not operational, having missed several start-up deadlines. This has prompted speculation that Stuxnet damaged the plant.
But Iran said its scientists discovered and neutralised the malware before it could cause serious damage.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.