Israeli-Linked Predatory Sparrow Destroys Data at IRGC-Linked Bank Sepah, Steals $90 Million from Nobitex Crypto Exchange

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Updated Jun 30, 2025, 10:16 PM

The Israeli-linked hacker group Predatory Sparrow (Gonjeshke Darande) has claimed responsibility for two major cyberattacks targeting Iranian financial institutions in June 2025. On June 17, the group announced a destructive cyberattack on Bank Sepah, one of Iran's oldest banks affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army. The attack reportedly destroyed the entire data infrastructure of the bank, causing a nationwide IT failure that disrupted online services, ATM access, and branch operations. Bank Sepah, which has approximately 1,800 branches in Iran and abroad, was identified as a financial conduit for Iran's proxy forces, missile, and nuclear programs.

Iranian state media reported that the bank was reconnected to the national banking network by June 21, over three days after the attack. Following this, on June 18, Predatory Sparrow claimed a cyberattack on Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The group stated it had stolen and erased approximately $90 million worth of digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, and Dogecoin, from Nobitex's hot wallets. The hackers accused Nobitex of facilitating Iran's evasion of international sanctions and financing terrorism. The attack caused a drastic reduction in wallet holdings from $1.8 billion to around $100 million. Predatory Sparrow also threatened to release Nobitex's internal data and source code within 24 hours. These cyber operations are part of a broader campaign by the group, which has previously targeted Iranian infrastructure such as fuel stations and steel factories.

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