Trump Shoots Down Claims Iran Attacked US Water Systems, Blames 'Corrupt' Tim Walz
President Donald Trump dismissed reports Friday that Iran was the source of cyberattacks on water systems across Minnesota earlier this week.
A “coordinated cyberattack” targeted more than 30 water systems on July 26 and 27, Minnesota IT Services said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The New York Times reported that the preliminary assessment of the attack led to Iranian hackers as the likely culprits, although a final assessment could modify that determination.
The well and treatment plant in one city were offline Monday, while other cities found ways to work around the disruption. There were no reports of the safety of the drinking water being impacted.
“In Minnesota, there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I blame it on Minnesota, because they’re grossly incompetent,” Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland.
“I would blame it on Minnesota, and the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” he added.
“They like to say, ‘Oh, it’s Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota,” Trump said.
.@POTUS: “In Minnesota there was a cyberattack and they blame it on Iran… I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent.” pic.twitter.com/o6TdAZapJW
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 31, 2026
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded, posting on social media, “Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too.”
“This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there’s no plan to win a war with Iran,” Walz wrote.
Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too.
This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there’s no plan to win a war with Iran. https://t.co/e70UpK65P6
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) July 31, 2026
Newsweek reported, “Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), however, said Thursday that the state has not attributed the activity to any specific actor and that the investigation remains active. The agency said attribution requires investigators to analyze technical evidence alongside broader national and international threat intelligence.”
“We have provided relevant information to the federal government, which is evaluating this activity in the broader national context and leading efforts to determine whether it can be attributed to a specific threat actor,” MNIT Chief Information Security Officer John Israel said.
Newsweek further noted, “No federal agency has publicly attributed the attack to Iran, and officials continue to investigate.”
“Investigators are also examining whether the perpetrators may have sought to make the activity appear to be Iranian in origin, according to reports citing officials familiar with the probe,” the outlet said.
The FBI said in a Thursday news release that the attacks have occurred in at least seven states.
🚨 FBI PSA: Malicious Cyber Actors Targeting Water and Wastewater Sector PLCs
The FBI warns that malicious cyber actors are conducting cyber attacks targeting operational technology devices. These threat actors are remotely accessing internet-facing PLCs, changing IPs and… pic.twitter.com/nUPXJBToDA
— FBI Cyber Division (@FBICyberDiv) July 30, 2026
“After remotely accessing internet-facing devices, the actors changed the IP addresses and passwords, resulting in a loss of monitoring and control functionality,” the FBI said.
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