Trump attributes Minnesota water system cyberattack to state governor, not Iran

President Donald Trump told a Cabinet meeting at Camp David that the recent cyberattack on Minnesota’s water systems was not the work of Iran but the result of "gross incompetence" by the state and its governor, Tim Walz. Trump said, "I blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota," and dismissed claims that Iran was responsible.

Federal and state officials, however, have indicated that Iranian-affiliated hackers are the likely perpetrators. A preliminary assessment shared with officials suggested the attack was part of a broader campaign targeting U.S. water infrastructure, a pattern previously linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Minnesota IT Services confirmed a coordinated attack on operational technology at more than 30 community water systems, causing temporary disruptions but no known threat to drinking water.

Walz responded on social media, stating that Trump knows who is responsible for the attack and that similar incidents have occurred in other states, describing it as "modern warfare." The Minnesota Department of Health said it had not received any requests from cities for residents to change water usage, and officials reported that the malicious software briefly shut down automated controls at several facilities before operators shifted to manual control.

The incident follows recent warnings from federal agencies that Iranian-linked hackers were targeting computer-controlled systems in water, power, and local government facilities, seeking to cause disruption and financial loss. Past attacks have exploited equipment with default or absent passwords, prompting utilities to move some operations offline as a precaution.