US investigating Iran ties to cyberattack on energy tankers bound for American ports - report

The US is investigating whether Iran was behind cyberattacks on two energy tankers bound for American ports, struck while transiting the Strait of Gibraltar in August. The ships, an oil tanker and a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, were traveling toward Texas ports when targeted. A US Coast Guard team and FBI agents boarded the vessels in the Gulf of Mexico to examine compromised networks.

The United States is investigating whether Iran was behind cyberattacks on two energy tankers bound for American ports that were struck while transiting the Strait of Gibraltar in August, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials. The ships, an oil tanker (VL Prosperity) carrying over two million barrels of oil from Egypt to Galveston, Texas, and a liquefied petroleum gas carrier (Kohaku) heading to another Texas port, were targeted in early August. A specialized US Coast Guard team, joined by FBI agents, boarded both vessels after they arrived in the Gulf of Mexico later that month to examine compromised information technology and operational systems. Iran's semiofficial Mehr News reported in August that hackers infiltrated the VL Prosperity's engine-room systems, reducing cooling flow and increasing engine speed, though no organization claimed responsibility. The Coast Guard reported no operational disruptions or physical danger to crew. The investigation comes as maritime routes have become a central arena in the US-Iran conflict, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz facing repeated attacks and the Iran-backed Houthis intensifying pressure on Red Sea shipping. US officials expressed concern that such attacks moving into the cyber domain could potentially cause collisions, fires, or explosions on modern ships reliant on interconnected digital systems.