Illustrative image of an oil tanker. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – A cyber attack by the United States against Iranian computer systems on June 20 “wiped out a critical database used by Iran’s paramilitary arm to plot attacks against oil tankers and degraded Tehran’s ability to covertly target shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf, at least temporarily,” reported The New York Times on Wednesday, citing senior US officials.

The regime has been recovering data wiped out in the attack and attempting to “restart some of the computer systems—including military communications networks—taken offline,” the officials told the outlet.

The US Cyber Command launched the attack against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in an operation planned weeks in advance, two sources told The Washington Post in June. The attack was coordinated with the US Central Command, which overseas military operations in the Middle East.

It was the first attack by the Cyber Command since it was raised to full combatant command in May, according to the report.

Around the time of the cyber attack, US President Donald Trump, who reportedly authorized it, decided not to retaliate militarily against Iran for shooting down a US drone aircraft.