How Pro-Iran Hacktivist Networks Mobilize During Kinetic Conflict

The current conflict between the United States and Iran has become a case study in how asymmetric warfare and coalition building are reshaping the cyber and geopolitical dimensions of modern conflict. Following the United States and Israel’s joint military strikes on Iran in February 2026, Iranian state and state-aligned actors rapidly increased cyber attacks against U.S. and allied companies, infrastructure, and governments. The most notable example is the attack on a U.S. medical device company, Stryker Corporation, in March. Handala, a threat actor linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS),…