Iran’s oil minister said up to 70% of the country’s gas stations were disrupted in an incident reported on December 18, 2023. Predatory Sparrow, also known as Gonjeshke Darande, claimed responsibility. The reported disruption occurred the previous day; the group’s account of its access and precautions has not been independently confirmed in the cited coverage.
What happened to Iran’s gas stations?
Iranian oil minister Javad Owji told Iranian state television that up to 70% of gas stations had been disrupted, according to CyberScoop. That is Owji’s reported estimate, not an independently audited count. The group separately claimed that its operation knocked out “a majority of the gas pumps throughout Iran”; that wording is the group’s claim, not a second verified measurement.
The incident was reported on December 18, 2023, after disruption the day before. It should not be read as a new event in 2026.
What did Predatory Sparrow claim it accessed?
Predatory Sparrow said it breached central gas-station servers and accessed station information, payment-system details, and management systems. Recorded Future News reported that Iranian authorities had not commented on those claims and had not publicly confirmed whether information was accessed. The reported service disruption and the group’s description of technical access are therefore distinct: the former was reported by Iranian state media through the oil minister’s statement, while the latter remains the group’s account.
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Did the group say it limited the damage?
Predatory Sparrow said it warned emergency services before the operation and left some stations unharmed. In a statement reproduced by Recorded Future News, the group said: “We delivered warnings to emergency services across the country before the operation began, and ensured a portion of the gas stations across the country were left unharmed… despite our access and capability to completely disrupt their operation.” The report did not independently verify those precautions or the group’s account of its capability.
Is Predatory Sparrow confirmed to be Israeli?
No public confirmation in the cited reporting establishes that Israel sponsored or directed this specific operation. CyberScoop described Predatory Sparrow as widely believed to be a persona created by Israeli security services and reported that anonymous U.S. defense officials attributed a 2021 Iranian fuel-system operation to Israel. Recorded Future News said Israeli media believed the group was linked to Israeli military intelligence, while Israeli officials did not comment on the 2023 incident. These are attributed assessments and reporting, not public proof of state direction in this case.
John Hultquist, chief analyst at Mandiant Intelligence, told CyberScoop: “This group has been one half of a cyber conflict that was going on within Iran and Israel before the most recent violence erupted.” That is Hultquist’s assessment of the broader context, not confirmation of who ordered the gas-station operation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What earlier incidents are relevant?
CyberScoop reported that Predatory Sparrow was linked to a 2021 attack that disrupted Iran’s national fuel-pump payment system and that the group struck Iranian steel facilities in 2022. Those incidents help explain why the group was associated with Iranian infrastructure, but they do not establish who carried out or directed the December 2023 operation.
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