Iran’s Cyber Playbook: Retaliation Beyond Conventional Military Strikes

Iran’s Cyber Retaliation: The Next Front After U.S. Strikes on Nuclear Sites Following the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities using B-2 Spirit bombers, Iran is likely to escalate its cyber warfare operations as a primary asymmetric retaliation strategy. This aligns with Iran's pattern of using cyber capabilities to offset conventional military disadvantages and project power globally. Below is an analysis of Iran's potential cyber response: Iran's Cyber Retaliation Strategy 1. Critical Infrastructure Targeting Iran will likely prioritize high-visibility attacks on U.S. and allied critical infrastructure, including energy grids, oil/gas facilities, financial systems (banks, stock exchanges), water utilities, and transportation networks. These targets align with Iran's historical focus on causing "high-impact disruption" that inflicts economic damage and public unease. 2. State-Sponsored Hacker Groups Key Iranian cyber units expected to...