FBI Warns of Iranian Cyberattacks on U.S. Infrastructure as Trump Threatens to Bomb Iran

The FBI, CISA, NSA, and multiple federal agencies warned Tuesday that Iranian-affiliated hackers are actively exploiting U.S. critical infrastructure systems -- targeting the industrial computers that control water treatment plants, energy grids, and wastewater facilities across the country.

The timing is no coincidence. The multi-agency advisory explicitly states that Iranian "targeting campaigns against U.S. organizations have recently escalated, likely in response to hostilities between Iran, and the United States and Israel."

Those hostilities include President Trump's repeated threats to bomb Iranian infrastructure. Early Tuesday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social giving Iran an 8 p.m. deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the "death of its whole civilization, never to be brought back again."

Hours later, federal agencies were warning municipalities and energy providers that Iranian hackers are already inside their systems.

Exploiting Industrial Control Systems

According to the joint advisory, Iranian threat actors are using overseas IP addresses to access internet-connected programmable logic controllers -- the industrial computers that automate critical processes in water treatment, energy production, and other essential services.

The hackers are specifically targeting devices made by Rockwell Automation and its subsidiary Allen-Bradley, extracting project files and altering data displays to intentionally cause disruptions.

The FBI Cyber Division urged organizations in the water and energy sectors to immediately review their systems for signs of compromise and apply recommended security measures.

The agencies' primary recommendation? Disconnect these industrial devices from public-facing internet systems entirely. They also called for multifactor authentication and additional firewalls to control access to any systems that must remain online.

A Pattern of Escalation

This is not the first cyberattack linked to Trump's Iran policy. About two weeks ago, a pro-Iranian group claimed responsibility for hacking FBI Director Kash Patel's personal online account -- a breach that raised questions about the security practices of the man now overseeing the nation's premier law enforcement agency.

The current wave of attacks began more than five weeks ago, following joint U.S. and Israeli bombing campaigns against Iran.

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani responded to Trump's latest threats by saying Iran will "take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures" if the president follows through.

Cybersecurity experts have long warned that critical infrastructure -- water systems, power grids, and transportation networks -- represents one of the most vulnerable attack surfaces for foreign adversaries. Unlike military targets, these systems are often managed by local municipalities and private companies with limited cybersecurity budgets and expertise.

Russia Also Targeting U.S. Networks

The Iranian threat is not isolated. On the same day as the FBI's warning, Microsoft disclosed that a Russian military-linked hacking group known as Forest Blizzard has compromised over 5,000 consumer devices and impacted 200 organizations.

The Russian group is targeting home and small-office routers, modifying settings to turn everyday internet equipment into malicious infrastructure for espionage and attacks. Microsoft said Forest Blizzard primarily collects intelligence supporting Russian government foreign policy initiatives.

The dual warnings underscore a reality that Trump's bombastic foreign policy ignores: when the president threatens to annihilate another nation's "whole civilization," that nation has tools to strike back without firing a single missile.

They can turn off the water in American cities. They can disrupt power grids. They can compromise the industrial systems that keep hospitals, schools, and businesses running.

And according to the FBI, they are already doing exactly that.