Hackers believed to be linked to Iran may have breached computerized fuel monitoring systems used at gas stations across the United States, according to a CNN report cited by Newsweek.
CNN reported that the suspected cyberattacks targeted “automatic tank gauge” systems, or ATGs, which are used to monitor fuel levels and detect leaks in underground storage tanks at gas stations.
U.S. officials told CNN that some of the systems had been connected to the internet without password protection, allowing intruders in certain cases to manipulate digital readings and alter system displays.
Officials told CNN that investigators found no evidence the hackers altered actual fuel supplies, though authorities warned that manipulated readings could conceal leaks or create broader safety risks for critical infrastructure.
According to CNN, federal investigators suspect the intrusions were carried out by actors linked to Iran, though officials have not publicly attributed the activity to a specific Iranian government organization.
The reported breaches add to longstanding U.S. concerns that Iran has developed one of the world’s most aggressive state-backed cyber programs, frequently targeting energy systems, industrial controls, financial institutions, and transportation infrastructure.
In 2016, the United States Department of Justice announced charges against seven Iranian hackers tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for cyberattacks targeting dozens of American banks between 2011 and 2013.
Federal prosecutors also said the same group infiltrated the control system for the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, an incident officials described as one of the first known Iranian cyber intrusions into U.S. industrial infrastructure.
Dragos warned in 2019 that Iranian hacking groups were increasingly focusing on operational technology systems used by utilities, oil facilities, pipelines, and manufacturing plants.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have also issued repeated joint advisories warning that Iranian hackers routinely scan the internet for poorly secured industrial control devices.
Cybersecurity company Mandiant reported in 2022 that Iranian state-linked hacking groups were increasingly targeting U.S. critical infrastructure organizations through ransomware attacks, destructive malware, and credential theft operations.
The United States Department of the Treasury said in late 2023 that hackers affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted water utilities and other infrastructure operators using internet-connected industrial devices made by Unitronics.
Federal agencies warned at the time that Iranian actors were exploiting default passwords and weak cybersecurity protections in operational technology systems.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has repeatedly cautioned that many fuel, water, and utility systems across the United States remain vulnerable because operators continue relying on legacy industrial equipment with outdated software and insufficient network protections.
Iranian-linked cyber operations have also repeatedly targeted energy infrastructure in the Middle East.
Cybersecurity researchers and Western officials blamed Iranian actors for the 2012 Shamoon cyberattack, which wiped data from roughly 30,000 computers at Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest energy companies.
Saudi officials later described the Shamoon incident as among the most destructive cyberattacks ever carried out against the global energy sector.
Iran has denied responsibility for many cyberattacks attributed to it by Western governments and cybersecurity researchers.
The latest reported intrusions come amid heightened tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, with American officials warning that Tehran could increasingly rely on cyberattacks as an asymmetric response to military or economic pressure.
House Republicans, meanwhile, narrowly rejected a resolution on Thursday aimed at ending the war with Iran.
This marked the third time such a war powers resolution has failed in the House since the conflict began.
The final vote was tied at 212-212, with three Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Tom Barrett (Mich.)—voting in favor of the measure.
One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, broke ranks with party leaders to oppose it.
In the House, a tie vote means that the measure fails, so Democrats and their Republican allies will have to try again if they want to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to be commander-in-chief without interference from the Legislative Branch.
Trump Removes NSF Board Members As Funding Cuts Raise Concerns
The Trump administration has terminated multiple members of the National Science Foundation’s governing board. The move has raised concerns among scientists and lawmakers about the agency’s future direction.
Members of the National Science Board received notices from the White House Presidential Personnel Office informing them that their roles were ending immediately.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I’m writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately,” the message read.
Board member Marvi Matos Rodriguez said she learned of her termination while reviewing materials tied to her role. She had been serving on the board since 2022.
“The idea of having six-year terms is you get to do something significant, impactful and go beyond administration, political administrations,” Rodriguez said.
It remains unclear how many members were removed or whether replacements will be named. The White House and the National Science Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, sharply criticized the decision.
“The NSB is apolitical,” Lofgren said in a statement. “It advises the president on the future of NSF.”
She accused the administration of undermining scientific leadership and independence.
“It unfortunately is no surprise a president who has attacked NSF from day one would seek to destroy the board that helps guide the Foundation,” she said.
Lofgren also questioned whether future appointees would remain independent.
“Will the president fill the NSB with MAGA loyalists who won’t stand up to him as he hands over our leadership in science to our adversaries?” she said.
The National Science Foundation has faced broader changes since Trump returned to office. The administration has canceled or suspended nearly 1,400 grants, citing shifting policy priorities.
Those grants account for roughly a quarter of federally funded basic scientific research in the United States. Critics, including former NSF directors, have warned that continued cuts could weaken the nation’s scientific standing.
The administration’s proposed 2027 budget seeks to reduce NSF funding by more than half. An Office of Management and Budget spokesperson previously said the cuts reflect “a strategic alignment of resources in a constrained fiscal environment.”
President Trump has nominated Jim O’Neill to lead the agency. His nomination is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
This comes as the midterms are less than six months away.
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said Republicans may outspend Democrats this election cycle, a dramatic reversal from past campaigns where Democrats often held the fundraising advantage.
Gruters argued Republicans are entering the midterm cycle with significantly stronger financial positioning and unprecedented coordination across the conservative movement.
Host Mike Slater asked Gruters to put the reported $70 million Democrats spent in Virginia’s recent redistricting battle into perspective.
“How much money is that to the parties?” Slater asked.
Gruters responded by painting a bleak financial picture for Democrats.
“The DNC has minus 4 million [dollars], and it wasn’t the DNC that plowed $70 million: It was the collective,” Gruters said.
“So, if you look at the collective on the right, we may have $800 million,” he continued.
“The collective on the left may have $350 million, and when you have the court, there’s gonna be a court case that is ruled on in the next week or two, coordinated campaign limits, which will magnify that, which will allow full coordination and allow the parties to spend at the candidate rate, which is massive for us,” he said.
Gruters said the financial landscape could mark a historic break from previous election cycles.
“When you have that financial advantage, people, you know, people don’t know that the Democrats routinely spend more than us on election cycles, because they have more massive donors and that will write massive checks,” he said.
“But this time, this cycle [we] will either spend a parity or will outspend them, and that’s never happened before,” he added.
According to Gruters, the RNC itself is in far stronger shape than the Democratic National Committee.
He said the RNC currently has “about $125 million” on hand compared to what he described as negative cash reserves at the DNC.
Gruters also pointed to allied Republican organizations as part of a broader coordinated effort.
A brand new Real Polling in Real Time with Zogby found that Democrats and Republicans are essentially tied months before November’s crucial midterm elections, possibly spelling bad news for the Democratic Party.
The Zogby Strategies survey on the 2026 Generic Congressional Ballot found that Democrats are at 46.3 percent and Republicans are at 45.8 percent.
The significance of the poll shows a sharp drop from the pollster’s previous (February) result, which found Democrats leading by +5 points. It’s essentially a statistical tie within the margin of error.
