// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Did Iran hack water systems in seven US states?
Many were surprised last week when the US state of Minnesota reported that more than 30 of its state water systems had faced a "co-ordinated cyber-attack".
Days later the FBI warned cyber-attacks had been reported in seven states and "some of that activity degraded water operations".
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa) is reportedly probing a possible Iranian connection to the Minnesota attacks, according to US media. Cisa would not comment.
Although US President Donald Trump has not blamed Iran, cyber-experts tell the BBC it's likely the attack was directed by Tehran.
Morgan Wright, a former US state department anti-terror adviser, told the BBC that these kinds of attacks are usually attributed to North Korea or Iran.
"And who are we in conflict with right now? Well, it's Iran. So they become, they go to the top of the listed terms of nations capable, and also having a desire to do something like this," he said.
US investigators are also looking into whether the hackers could have posed as Iran-based as a ruse to sow further discord amid the US war with Iran, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.
Jake Braun, former acting White House Deputy National Cyber Director, told the BBC that the Trump administration is involved in its own information war and therefore it might be unlikely to admit that Iran did infiltrate US water infrastructure, even if it was confirmed.
At a cabinet meeting last Friday, Trump, a Republican, blamed "grossly incompetent" Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz, for the water hack.
Walz, a Democrat, responded: "Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too."