A pro-Israel hacking group has stolen the equivalent of $90 million from Iran’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange in a high-stakes cyberattack that’s rocking the region.
The group, known as Predatory Sparrow, claimed responsibility for the breach on Wednesday, targeting the Tehran-based Nobitex platform. The hackers allege the exchange is being used by the Iranian government to bypass international sanctions.
In a brazen move, the stolen crypto was reportedly sent to digital wallets the hackers can’t access—effectively burning the funds. Cybersecurity firms Elliptic and TRM Labs confirmed the funds had been redirected to crypto addresses containing a vulgar message aimed at Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Nobitex acknowledged the breach, saying it had suspended operations “as a precaution” until further notice.
This attack follows a separate cyber incident on Tuesday, when Predatory Sparrow claimed it had destroyed data at Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah—alleging the IRGC used the bank for covert transactions. On the ground in Tehran, ATM machines reportedly ran dry, with multiple machines non-functional or out of cash.
The digital onslaught didn’t stop there. Iran’s state-run broadcaster was also hacked on Wednesday, airing footage calling for a public uprising. While no group has claimed responsibility for the broadcast disruption, many suspect it’s linked to the same campaign.
The wave of hacks marks a dangerous new phase in the long-running shadow cyber war between Israel and Iran. Though Predatory Sparrow claims to be a group of Iranian dissidents, many cybersecurity experts believe they operate with Israeli backing.
Cyber expert Hamid Kashfi warned that the Nobitex attack could have broader consequences. “Many Iranians are banking on crypto, especially now with financial pressure mounting,” he told CNN.
Meanwhile, the Iranian government has urged citizens to avoid WhatsApp, claiming Israel is spying through the platform—a claim that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, firmly denies, stressing its end-to-end encryption.
As tensions between Israel and Iran continue to erupt both in cyberspace and on the battlefield, everyday citizens are increasingly caught in the crossfire of this digital war.
