Amid the intense focus on missiles, escalation dynamics, and geopolitical fallout during the June 13-24 war between Iran and Israel, the cyber dimension — especially as it concerned Iranian actions — received comparatively little attention. Yet beneath the headlines, a quieter but significant battle played out in cyberspace, highlighting how Iran has refined its use of digital tools to shape the battlespace, control domestic narratives, and project influence abroad. While largely ineffective in operational terms, Iran’s cyber response marked a new phase in its strategic evolution characterized by greater coordination, doctrinal coherence, and integration across domains. From hacking surveillance systems and deploying artificial intelligence (AI)-driven disinformation in tandem with missile strikes to enforcing real-time digital repression at home, Tehran demonstrated that it now sees cyber capabilities as core instruments of warmaking and statecraft. Certainly, this evolution ought not to be mistaken for improved technical prowess given that Iran’s cyber defenses remain critically weak. Still, the observed shift in digital tool usage patterns a month and a half ago matters because it offers an important insight into the regime’s intent to embed cyber operations within a broader “hybrid warfare” doctrine.
What Iran did during the 12-day war
The 12-day war between Iran and Israel exposed a complex and multi-dimensional Iranian cyber campaign that extended far beyond isolated hacking incidents. The confrontation saw Iran-linked cyber actors execute a broad range of operations designed to exert psychological pressure, collect tactical intelligence, enforce deterrence against third countries, and maintain domestic control. The digital arena was a critical front in Iran’s hybrid strategy during the conflict — i.e., to more seamlessly meld conventional and unconventional instruments of power together with tools of subversion.
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