The Wall Street Journal revealed late last week that Iran has been hacking U.S. Navy computers in recent weeks.

The allegations, coming as the Obama administration ramps up talks with Iran over its nuclear program, show the depth and complexity of long-standing tensions between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. officials said the attacks were carried out by hackers working for Iran’s government or by a group acting with the approval of Iranian leaders.

The news came only weeks after another Journal scoop describing Iranian activity against the U.S., this one involving an Iranian order to forces it backs in Iraq ordering them to attack the U.S.’s Baghdad embassy and other American interests should Washington act militarily against Syria. The revelations, alongside a domestic wave in executions, have generated concerns that newly inaugurated president Hassan Rouhani is either unable or unwilling to substantially change Iranian behavior. Washington Institute senior fellow Matthew Levitt had already, last June, urged analysts and diplomats to temper their expectations regarding “just how much moderation should be expected from a ‘moderate’ Iranian president,” emphasizing that previous Iranian presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Muhammad Khatami, both described as moderates or reformers, had not dampened Iran’s adventurism.

Even if Rouhani were inclined to curb such policies, there is no evidence that he has the authority to do so without the Supreme Leader’s approval, which seems highly unlikely at present.

[Photo: BotMultichillT / Wiki Commons]