Report: Hackers target Iran's science ministry

Hackers have attacked the computers of Iran's ministry of science, a reformist newspaper in the Islamic Republic reported on Sunday. A senior official told the paper that there was no known damage and that the "situation was under control."

A source within the ministry told the "Sharq" newspaper that it is possible that the sites were hacked due to the fact that the ministry has joint projects with the defense ministry and that the "hackers intended to hack into the main servers to get information and cause damage."

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Iran's Oil Ministry announced recently that is has formed a crisis center to deal with the recent cyber attack on the country's oil export facilities.

According to Iranian media, over 50 of Tehran's top technical experts have been ordered to report to the ministry and assist in the "cyber battle."

The cyber attack, which has been ongoing throughout April, peaked last week, when it took down several key computer systems in the Oil Ministry and corrupted the data stored on them in its entirety.

A virus was first detected inside the control systems of Kharg Island, which handles the vast majority of Iran's crude oil exports.

Iran's deputy oil minister said authorities have yet to determine whether the attack originated from inside Iran or abroad.

Meanwhile, a prominent Iranian lawmaker said the reported basing of America's most sophisticated stealth jet fighters in the United Arab Emirates is a US-Israel plot to create regional instability.

Kazem Jalali was reacting to media reports of the recent deployment of F-22 Raptors at the UAE's Al Dafra Air Base, which has long hosted US warplanes.

The deployment was first reported in the journal Aviation Week, but US and UAE officials have not publicly commented.

Jalali was quoted by the semiofficial ISNA news agency Sunday.

Tehran and Washington are at odds over Iran's nuclear program. The US and Israel say Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. The two countries have not ruled out military action against Iranian facilities.

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