In the years leading up to President Trump coming into office and ordering Operation Epic Fury targeting the Islamic Republic for regime change, which failed to accomplish this (early-stated) goal, Iran had frequently been accused of orchestrating major cyberespionage campaigns targeting the United States and its allies.
But rarely was any individual or group apprehended for such alleged cyberattacks, much less was definitive proof uncovered of backing from the Iranian government. But on Friday there has been a reported capture of an Iranian suspected cyber-attacker, said to be behind dozens of significant sabotage attacks on American institutions, mainly of higher learning.
A high-profile international manhunt ended in the coastal town of Kotor on Thursday, as Montenegrin police, reportedly acting on an FBI tip-off, arrested an Iranian-Turkish dual national accused of masterminding a catastrophic, decade-long cyberwar against US infrastructure.
via ReutersThe 39-year-old suspect, identified by authorities only as "A.B.", is wanted by the United States for allegedly orchestrating cyberattacks that inflicted a staggering $3.4 billion in damages.
The suspect is facing a laundry list of charges from a New York court - among them computer fraud, hacking, identity theft, organized crime.
Authorities allege that from 2013 onwards he carried out "massive hacking attacks" systematically targeting American intellectual property. Astoundingly this included more than 150 US universities, which saw their networks infiltrated and proprietary data plundered.
The actions apparently weren't just for profit, as investigators allege the stolen data and compromised university accounts were weaponized "for the benefit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian beneficiaries, including universities."
However, it's as yet unclear what evidence exists for this, or the degree to which authorities have found ties to state entities or intelligence - but one can imagine that operations of this scale might likely have had state backing.
The suspect is currently being held ahead of an appearance before a court in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica, which will ultimately rule on the US extradition request - something which will likely be granted, given the FBI assist to local investigators.
Back in 2018, the Department of Justice unsealed a sweeping indictment that accused nine Iranian nationals of hacking universities and other organizations to steal academic research and data.
đ˛đŞđŽđˇđşđ¸ An accused IRGC hacker who targeted 150+ American universities just got arrested, at a beach resort in Montenegro.
The numbers are staggering: $3.4 billion in damage. Stolen credentials allegedly funneled straight to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Montenegro police picked⌠pic.twitter.com/koflMD3q5Q
So far, US authorities have not specifically indicated whether the latest arrest is connected to that prior case, leaving open the question of whether "A.B." was a lone operator or part of a much larger state-backed or intelligence-linked apparatus.
Tyler Durden Sat, 06/27/2026 - 08:45Authored by James Xu via The Epoch Times,
The European Commission, Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands have joined the U.S.-led Pax Silica partnership, expanding a group focused on securing supply chains for artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.
Semiconductor chips on a circuit board of a computer on Feb. 25, 2022. Florence Lo/Illustration/ReutersThe announcement came at a summit in Washington on June 23 hosted by the U.S. State Department. The partnership aims to strengthen cooperation on semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg welcomed the new members.
"The European Union does not join Pax Silica as one more name on a list. It arrives as what it is: the largest single market on Earth," he said.
Helberg highlighted Germany's industrial base, Greece's shipping industry and strategic location, and the Netherlands' longstanding role in semiconductor equipment, where it has long been a key partner.
According to the U.S. State Department, members signed a declaration committing to "mutual prosperity, technological progress, and economic security." The agreement also calls for reducing excessive supply chain dependencies and building trusted technology ecosystems with private industry.
The European Union joined after EU member states authorized the European Commission to sign on behalf of the bloc.
Trusted Supply ChainsPax Silica was launched in Washington in December 2025. Founding members included Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Israel, among others. They signed the initial declaration to strengthen cooperation on technologies considered critical to future economic security.
The partnership has grown steadily since then. Members now also include Australia, India, the Philippines, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Taiwan has endorsed the initiative's principles through a separate joint statement but is not a formal signatory.
U.S. officials say the partnership is intended to build trusted supply chains among allies. The move forms part of broader U.S. efforts to reduce dependence on China for technologies such as advanced chips, critical minerals, and AI infrastructure.
China currently dominates global rare earth processing, accounting for roughly 80 to 90 percent of refined supply. It also holds a significant share of mining output for several key critical minerals used in electronics and renewable energy technologies.
In April, the United States and the Philippines announced plans for a 4,000-acre economic security zone in the Luzon Economic Corridor to support production for strategic supply chains under the partnership.
This zone is described by officials as the first AI-native industrial acceleration hub under Pax Silica.
Helberg said similar cooperation on critical minerals is under discussion with Kazakhstan, though no agreement has been announced. Such projects mark the initiative's move into practical application.
Further announcements on new members and projects are expected in the coming weeks.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden Sat, 06/27/2026 - 08:10