Is America’s Drinking Water the Next Front in the Iran War? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 7, 2026 · 27 MIN

Is America’s Drinking Water the Next Front in the Iran War?

from The Daily · host The New York Times

Over the past week, a growing number of municipalities across the United States have reported that their water systems were hacked. The Times has found that the attacks were most likely perpetrated by Iran. Today, Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence correspondent for The New York Times, explains how the hacking exposes yearslong failed efforts to shore up vulnerabilities in U.S. infrastructure, and how Iran may be seeking a new kind of leverage that could extend the war’s reach to within U.S. borders and affect something as elemental as the water we drink. Guest: Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  Federal and state officials are racing to address an assault on the nation’s water supply. Cyberattacks on water systems nationwide that affected Michigan and Minnesota also included at least five more states. Evidence points to Iranian involvement. Photo: Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Over 100 municipalities across the United States have identified cyberactivity potentially connected to an Iran-linked hacking spree.

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Is America’s Drinking Water the Next Front in the Iran War?

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