President Trump casts doubt on possible Iranian role in cyberattacks targeting US water systems

President Trump, speaking from Camp David, questioned whether Iran was involved in recent cyberattacks targeting American water systems, while warning that further U.S. strikes against Iran were coming.

“There was a cyberattack. And they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent,” Trump said.

The president also expressed growing doubts about diplomacy with Iran, saying, “I’m losing faith in them … because they do lie.”

“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” Trump added. “At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.'”

U.S. officials are investigating whether Iran may be connected to the cyberattacks.

CNN reports hackers targeted internet-connected controls at water systems across roughly six states, forcing some utilities into manual operations and prompting boil-water notices.

In Minnesota alone, about 30 water systems were targeted.

A Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension memo obtained by CNN said the likely goal was to cause a loss of water pressure, potentially creating a risk of contamination.

No contamination has been reported.

Investigators have not identified who was responsible. CNN reports U.S. and state officials are treating Iran as one possible suspect, while remaining cautious about the possibility of a false flag.

Federal agencies have previously documented Iran-linked cyberattacks against American water infrastructure and recently warned about the threat Iranian hackers pose to U.S. critical infrastructure.

Separately, CISA said Thursday that it was observing a significant increase in unidentified cyber actors targeting water-system controls. The agency urged utilities to remove publicly exposed control systems from the internet.

The war is also affecting global energy markets and prices at the pump.

Chevron’s second-quarter profit was nearly five times higher than a year earlier, while Exxon Mobil’s more than doubled. Higher crude prices and stronger refining margins helped drive those gains.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for roughly a fifth of global oil consumption, has been heavily disrupted during the war. The resulting pressure on global energy markets has helped push the national average for gasoline roughly a dollar above its level a year ago.