US President Donald Trump may have stepped back from the idea of military action against Iran, but this has not stopped the US from beginning a cyber attack on the nation, RT News reports:
President Trump approved the cyber offensive against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Although the attack came after Iran had shot down an American surveillance drone, it had reportedly been months in the making. The strike was conducted by US Cyber Command in coordination with Central Command, which is in charge of US military activity in the Middle East.
A week before the attack, John Bolton, the hawkish presidential adviser and arguably the major cheerleader in the feud with Iran, revealed that the US is ramping up offensive cyber operations against its adversaries. The list included the usual suspects of Russia, Iran, China and North Korea.
According to reports the cyber attack crippled Irans military command and control systems, although Iran has yet to confirm or deny whether this is the case. The White House has warned however of possible cyber-attacks in retaliation.
Trump called off a planned military strike against Iranian targets on Friday, as it could have resulted in 150 casualties. Instead, the US president threatened Tehran with more crippling sanctions, saying it was not about oil, but preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons.
Top Washington officials say a military strike is still on the table, but they are in favour of talks or a deal if Tehran behaves the way the US wants. That’s right, ‘if they behave the way the US wants’.
Just remember, Iran was always in the spotlights for the taking, it was just a matter of when and how: