Tehran Denies Supporting Cyberattacks Against U.S. Banks

Iran has denied supporting cyberattacks against the United States after a U.S. court formally charged seven Iranian nationals over hacking dozens of American banks and a New York dam.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has never had dangerous cyber actions on its agenda and does not support such measures," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on March 26.

The U.S. Justice Department on March 24 indicted the seven Iranians believed to have been working on behalf of the Iranian government and described as "experienced computer hackers."

At least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were affected by the coordinated hacking campaign from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment.

At a news conference, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the cyberattacks inflicted tens of millions of dollars in damages.

The alleged attack against the dam by Iranians could have imposed a clear and present danger to Americans, she said.

Based on statement by mfa.ir and reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters