Washington DC [US], August 1 : US President Donald Trump has dismissed reports attributing a recent cyberattack on Minnesota's water infrastructure to Iran, placing the blame instead on state leadership and Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, Trump rejected findings by intelligence agencies and state authorities.
"I just want to mention that we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran," Trump said. "I don't think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they're grossly incompetent."
He further questioned Tehran's involvement, referencing the broader geopolitical climate. "There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota. They like to say, 'Oh, it's Iran.' Iran should be so lucky. Iran's got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota," Trump added.
The President's remarks come amidst an ongoing military conflict launched by the US and Israel against Iran, as well as his long-standing scepticism towards the US intelligence community.
Trump's stance directly contradicts preliminary assessments shared by US and state officials. Officials familiar with the incident informed The New York Times that Iranian hackers were likely behind the breach.
Responding to the allegations on social platform X, Governor Tim Walz criticised the President's stance on the critical infrastructure breach.
"Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too. This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there's no plan to win a war with Iran," Walz posted.
The exchange highlights escalating political friction between the Trump administration and Minnesota authorities. Tensions intensified earlier this year following the killing of two US citizens by immigration agents during street demonstrations, alongside political clashes over state-administered social services programmes.
Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election won by Trump and JD Vance, abandoned his bid for a third gubernatorial term in January amid scrutiny over programme oversight, though he has not been accused of personal wrongdoing.
Federal agencies had previously issued warnings that Iranian-affiliated actors were actively targeting computerised controls across water facilities, power networks, and local governments to cause domestic disruption, Fox News reported.
On the ground, state agency Minnesota IT Services confirmed that a "coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems". However, state authorities maintained that the investigation remains active and has not yet formally named a "specific actor".
The incident impacted local infrastructure across several municipalities, with malicious software temporarily shutting down digital controls for a well and water treatment plant in Braham, while Plymouth and South St. Paul shifted operations to manual control, according to Fox News.
Despite the disruption to automated systems, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed that it is "not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage", verifying that there is no known threat to drinking water supplies.
Iranian cyber operations have previously targeted US infrastructure. In 2023, hackers affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps breached programmable controllers at several US water and wastewater facilities by exploiting default credentials, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
In another case, the US Department of Justice charged an Iranian hacker with unlawfully accessing the control system of a dam in Rye, New York, in 2013.