WANA (Jul 30) – Kianoush Adib, a cybersecurity expert, said allegations linking Iran to the recent cyber incident involving water facilities in the U.S. state of Minnesota are inconsistent with the Islamic Republic’s declared military doctrine, arguing that such operations do not align with Iran’s stated principles.

 

According to Adib, cyberattacks targeting water treatment plants or manipulating the chemicals used in them fall outside Iran’s offensive cyber doctrine. He said that, under a fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader, the use of weapons of mass destruction—whether physical or cyber—is prohibited, and that Iran would not carry out such actions despite possessing the necessary capabilities.

 

Rejecting attempts to attribute the Minnesota incident to Iran, Adib outlined two possible scenarios. The first, he said, is that the attack may have been orchestrated by Israel or actors affiliated with it to escalate tensions and create grounds for blaming Iran.

 

The second possibility, he added, is that the incident was a false flag operation conducted by the United States, in which the attack was designed to make Iran appear responsible.