This week’s collapse of the Iranian nuclear deal justifiably caused global consternation at the thought of Iran moving closer to becoming a nuclear power.

There is, however, a much more immediate threat. Iran is already a cyber power and has a history of launching hacking attacks against American interests.

Restoring sanctions removes an important deterrent to those cyberattacks and may have immediate adverse consequences.

The United States and Iran have quietly waged cyberwar for more than a decade. The U.S. fired the first shot in this war as early as 2007 after joining forces with Israel to use malicious software to destroy equipment at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

Published May 10, 2018 on CNBC.

Read the full story: Iran Doesn’t Have Nukes Yet, But It Has a Powerful Weapon It Can Use Right Now