Iran, Saudi tensions may be moving to cyberspace

By Ahmet Dursin

ISTANBUL

A cyber attack against Iran’s national statistics website followed by no access to websites belonging to the Saudi Central Department of Statistics show tension between the two countries has shifted to cyberspace.

Iranian media reported on Wednesday that the Statistics Centre of Iran had been subjected to a cyber attack by online “hackers”.

While some news reports say members of the Daesh terrorist group were behind the cyber attack, media organizations close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claim that the attack was caused by a group supported by the Saudi government.

Iranian Civil Defense Agency President Golamreza Celali had recently said that Saudi Arabia was planning a large-scale cyber attack against Iran.

Saudi Arabia had officially cut ties with Iran in January after its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked by Iranian protesters following the execution of 47 convicts – including prominent Shia Imam Nimr al-Nimr – by Saudi authorities.