The ongoing US-Iran War introduced a new and alarming dimension modern warfare: the deep integration of cyber warfare with conventional kinetic strikes. The war erupted on 28 February 2026 when Israel and the United States launched coordinated airstrikes (codenamed Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury) targeting Iranian leadership, nuclear facilities, and military sites, including the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Cyber and electronic-warfare capabilities were integrated to disrupt Iranian critical infrastructure, communications systems, state media, and digital networks.
According to US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine, joint space and cyber operations disrupted Iranian communications and sensor networks before the kinetic strikes, aiming to leave Iranian forces “disrupted, disoriented and confused.” Israeli cyber operators reportedly compromised the widely used Iranian prayer application BadeSaba Calendar, which had over five million downloads. Users received Persian-language notifications encouraging civilians and military personnel to defect, surrender, or support opposition movements.
Simultaneously, several Iranian government and media websites, including the state-run IRNA news agency, were defaced with anti-regime messages, while cyber intrusions targeted military and government systems to weaken coordinated responses.
Electronic warfare operations also disrupted GPS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals, affecting more than 1,100 ships in the Gulf region. Israeli intelligence allegedly exploited long-term access to Tehran’s traffic cameras and mobile-phone infrastructure to assist in targeting senior Iranian officials.
Following damage to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, hackers hijacked television channels and aired speeches from Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu through Artificial intelligence (AI) urging Iranians to oppose the regime. These operations coincided with a nationwide internet blackout, reducing connectivity to only 1–4 per cent of normal levels for over 60 hours. US also used satellite images, MQ-9 drones, F-35and B-2 spirit drone to precisely destroy Iranian nuclear facilities, oil, water and electricity infrastructures.
