Hackers carried out cyberattacks against municipal water systems in seven states over the past week, the FBI confirmed, triggering a federal investigation into one of the most widespread infrastructure intrusion campaigns to hit the United States in recent years. Officials did not immediately identify which systems were compromised or whether any water supplies were affected.

Investigators and outside cybersecurity analysts have identified Iran as the primary suspect in the attacks. Minnesota, in particular, has been cited as a notable target, with federal and state officials acknowledging that its water infrastructure was among those probed or breached in the campaign.

President Trump publicly disputed the attribution to Iran, instead directing criticism at Minnesota's governor over the state's vulnerability to the cyberattacks. His remarks introduced a political dimension to what officials had been treating primarily as a national security matter. The White House did not offer an alternative attribution for the intrusions.

The FBI has not made a formal public attribution, and the investigation is ongoing. Federal cybersecurity agencies have urged water utilities across the country to review their network security protocols and report any anomalous activity to authorities. Critical infrastructure attacks on water systems have been a longstanding concern for U.S. security planners, who have warned that such systems often lack the cybersecurity resources of larger federal or private sector targets.