Montenegrin police, working alongside the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, have arrested an Iranian national accused of carrying out a series of cyberattacks that allegedly caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damage to U.S. infrastructure.
The 39-year-old suspect, who holds dual Iranian and Turkish citizenship, was detained in the Adriatic coastal town of Kotor, Montenegro's police directorate announced on Thursday.
U.S. authorities are seeking the suspect under an indictment issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, computer hacking and aggravated identity theft.
Montenegrin authorities said the case will now be referred to the High Court in the capital, Podgorica, where extradition proceedings will begin.
According to Montenegro's police, the suspect allegedly carried out a large-scale hacking campaign beginning in 2013, targeting more than 150 universities across the United States.
Authorities estimate the attacks caused financial losses exceeding $3.4 billion through the theft of sensitive academic and research data, as well as unauthorised access to university computer systems.
Police said the stolen data and access credentials were allegedly used for the benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian institutions, including universities.
The FBI did not immediately comment on the arrest.
U.S. officials have long accused Iran and the IRGC of sponsoring cyber operations targeting American government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure.
In April, U.S. cybersecurity, law enforcement and intelligence agencies warned that Iranian-linked hacking groups were intensifying efforts to compromise equipment used across critical U.S. infrastructure, raising concerns about the growing sophistication and persistence of state-backed cyber threats.
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