Iranian hackers have been identified as posing as job recruiters to target software engineers in the aviation sector, as part of a broader espionage scheme linked to the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. Cybersecurity researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 revealed that the hackers also targeted a US oil and gas firm, as well as organizations in Israel and the United Arab Emirates. This campaign aims to gather intelligence that could help Iran monitor flight patterns and understand the operations of US oil companies amidst market volatility. The tactics employed included fake job postings and infected video conferencing software, with one instance involving impersonation of a US airline. Despite the sophisticated nature of the attacks, researchers believe that no successful breaches occurred within the targeted sectors. The Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center expressed that such espionage efforts were expected due to the current geopolitical tensions. Historically, Iranian hackers have targeted airlines to track dissidents, indicating a persistent focus on high-value targets within the tech sector. Although some Iranian cyber operatives may have been impacted by military actions, their operations continue unabated.