Hacked traffic cams and hijacked TVs: How cyber operations supported the war against Iran
Source: TechCrunch
On Saturday, U.S. and Israeli jets began a bombing campaign against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior government officials. The attacks also hit military and civilian targets across the country, including a girls’ school where at least 168 children and adults were killed【http://theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/03/minab-school-bombing-how-the-worst-mass-casualty-event-of-the-iran-war-unfolded-a-visual-guide】.
Cyber Operations in the Early Stages of the War
Multiple reports and statements from government officials suggest that cyber operations played a significant role at the outset of the conflict. Hacking can now serve as an important component of real‑world warfare, supporting kinetic strikes, providing intelligence from surveillance activities, and being used as part of psychological operations (psyops).
The most direct confirmation came from U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, who said that “coordinated space and cyber operations effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks” in Iran ahead of the attack, “leaving the adversary without the ability to see, coordinate or respond effectively.” The goal, Caine explained in a press conference【https://therecord.media/iran-cyber-us-command-attack】, was to “disrupt, disorient and confuse the enemy.”
Coordinated Kinetic‑Cyber Operations
Hijacking Iranian State TV
Israel first bombed the offices of two state‑owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) channels. The Israel Defense Forces then hijacked the broadcast to air speeches by Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging Iranians to join the fight against the regime【https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-888487】. A similar hack against one of the channels occurred in January【https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/hackers-disrupt-iranian-state-tv-to-broadcast-video-of-exiled-crown-prince】.
Use of Hacked Traffic Cameras
As part of the operation to kill Khamenei, Israeli spies reportedly used information from hacked traffic cameras across Tehran【https://www.ft.com/content/bf998c69-ab46-4fa3-aae4-8f18f7387836】. The Financial Times cited two anonymous sources, reporting that Israel had accessed the camera network for years and had “deeply penetrated mobile phone networks.”
Psychological Operations
On the first day of the war, hackers breached a popular Iranian prayer app, BadeSaba Calendar, sending messages to all users that urged “the freedom of our Iranian brothers and sisters” to lay down weapons and join forces of liberation【https://www.wired.me/story/hacked-prayer-app-sends-surrender-messages-to-iranians-amid-israeli-strikes】【https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-strikes-2026/card/israel-hacked-popular-iranian-prayer-app-to-urge-defections-resistance-wtYyb29CmKrTXoJBIV3C】. The content clearly framed the breach as a psyop aimed at influencing pro‑regime individuals.
Effectiveness and Skepticism
Iranian hackers have so far been largely ineffective in responding, according to Bloomberg【http://ft.com/content/bf998c69-ab46-4fa3-aae4-8f18f7387836】. While these cyber activities may be real, their overall impact on the conflict is uncertain; conventional kinetic actions—dropping bombs—remain the primary driver of outcomes. Authorities may also exaggerate cyber effects to intimidate adversaries.
A comparable claim was made earlier this year regarding Venezuela, where U.S. officials, including former President Trump, suggested that U.S. hackers caused a power outage in Caracas during the operation to abduct President Nicolás Maduro【https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/us/politics/cyberattack-venezuela-military.html】. However, a Cyberscoop analysis argued that the partial blackouts were more likely caused by fighter jets destroying electrical substations【https://cyberscoop.com/venezuela-blackout-cyberattack-vs-kinetic-damage-operation-absolute-resolve】.
References
- The Guardian – Minab school bombing: visual guide
- The Record – Iran cyber‑US command attack
- Jerusalem Post – Israeli hijack of IRIB channels
- PBS NewsHour – Hack of Iranian state TV
- Financial Times – Israeli access to Tehran traffic cameras
- Wired & Wall Street Journal – Prayer‑app messages
- Bloomberg – Iranian cyber response
- New York Times – Venezuela power‑outage claim
- Cyberscoop – Analysis of Venezuela blackout