WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Pro-Iranian hackers are targeting sites in the West Asia and starting to stretch into the United States during the war, raising the risk of American defence contractors, power stations and water plants being swept into a wave of digital chaos that could expand if Tehran's allies join the fray. Hackers supporting Iran claimed responsibility for a significant cyberattack on Wednesday against US medical device company Stryker. The goal is to wear down the American war effort, drive up the costs of energy, strain cyber resources and cause as much pain as possible for American companies that depend on the defence industry. "Something is going to happen because the gloves are off," said Kevin Mandia, founder of the cybersecurity companies Mandiant and Armadin. Pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian hackers claimed credit for disrupting systems at Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company. A group known as Handala said the attack was in retaliation for suspected US strikes that killed Iranian schoolchildren. Pro-Iranian hackers openly discuss their plans in Telegram and other online message boards. "The data centres need to be taken out," wrote one user, as uncovered by researchers at US-based SITE Intelligence Group. "They host the brains of USAs military communication and targeting systems."AP...