Iranian private airline Mahan Air 'foils cyber attack'

The carrier's internal system was the target of the attack, state media reported

Mahan Air has said its internal system was the target of the cyber attack. Reuters

A cyber attack against Iranian private airline Mahan Air has been foiled, state media reported on Sunday.

The airline, blacklisted by Washington in 2011 over support it provided to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said it faced similar attacks in the past.

The carrier said its "internal system" was the target of the attack. Its flight schedule was not affected, state media reported.

"Our international and domestic flights are operating on schedule without any disruptions," Amirhossein Zolanvari, head of the airline's public relations office, told state TV.

Iranian authorities have said the country is on high alert for online attacks, which in the past Tehran has blamed on the US and Israel.

The US and other western powers have accused Iran of trying to disrupt and break into their networks.

Last month, an apparent cyber attack disrupted the sale of heavily subsidised fuel across Iran.

In July, the website of Iran's Transport Ministry was taken down by what state media called a "cyber disruption" that caused delays to train services.