What role has cyber warfare played in Iran?

March 12, 2026

The US and Israel are conducting extensive cyber operations against Iran as part of their military campaign, though officials rarely discuss these activities publicly despite regularly promoting conventional strikes on social media. Cyber efforts have included pre-positioning in Iranian networks for years, hacking surveillance cameras to track leaders, disrupting communications systems, and potentially infiltrating a popular prayer app. While US officials hint that cyber operations have "blinded" Iran's ability to communicate and respond, they remain secretive about specific techniques to protect their capabilities.

Who is affected

Iranian military and government officials, including the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iranian civilians using the BadeSaba prayer app (5 million downloads)
US medical technology company Stryker and its employees
US Central Command and US Cyber Command operatives
Israeli military cyber-defense units
Iranian hackers and hacktivist groups
General public in Iran experiencing potential infrastructure and communications disruptions

What action is being taken

US Central Command is posting photos and videos about conventional weapons and strikes on social media
US and Israeli forces are conducting cyber-espionage operations to locate military targets in Iran
Operatives are "hunting for more systems to kill" using open source intelligence, satellite imagery, and cyber-espionage
Stryker is working to end the disruption from the cyberattack on its systems
Iranian hackers (Handala group) executed a wiper malware attack on Stryker
AI tools are being employed to support targeting and intelligence work

Why it matters

This conflict demonstrates how cyber warfare has become integral to modern military operations, functioning as a "force multiplier" that shapes the information environment and supports ground operations. The use of cyber capabilities to disrupt communications, surveillance systems, and military coordination can determine the success of conventional strikes by preventing adversaries from mounting effective responses. The secrecy surrounding cyber operations raises important questions about transparency, rules of engagement, laws of armed conflict, and proportionality in warfare. Iran's surprisingly limited cyber retaliation, despite its reputation as a capable cyber power, suggests either successful incapacitation by allied strikes or a potential overestimation of their capabilities, which has significant implications for understanding the balance of power in modern conflicts.

What's next

Officials are continuing to hunt for additional Iranian military systems to target using intelligence gathering methods including cyber-espionage. Secretary Hegseth mentioned that operatives are "iterating on how we target and how we find and fix different aspects of what the Iranians are trying to do." Experts anticipate potential Iranian cyber retaliation either directly from state actors or through vigilante hacker groups, as patriotic hacker personas have sometimes served as facades for state-linked operations. However, specific timelines or planned actions are not explicitly detailed in the article.

Read full article from source: BBC