Iran conflict heightens cyber threats to U.S. energy infrastructure

The energy sector has long been targeted as a point of leverage in geopolitical conflict. Historically, energy disruptions were concentrated on logistical and supply interruptions to exert economic pressure on adversaries—for example, through sanctions, oil embargos, and restrictions on key shipping lanes. More recently, however, direct physical attacks on energy infrastructure have increasingly been deployed as a core military strategy.

In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, strikes on Ukrainian energy systems tripled this year over previous years of the war, resulting in a near collapse of the country’s power grid. Last week, President Donald Trump threatened attacks on Iran’s electricity grid, and Iran responded that it would retaliate against energy and water systems across the Gulf.

Today, Iran does not have long-range weapons capable of causing physical damage to domestic U.S. energy infrastructure. However, a physical risk remains; Iran has increasingly used unmanned aircraft systems to attack critical assets, and pro-Iranian entities within the United States have capabilities to use drones as weapons—a threat that is difficult for utilities to counter.

Read more at Center for Strategic and International Studies