
(Scypre.com) – The Justice Department has charged three Iranian nationals with orchestrating a hack-and-leak campaign aimed at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, accusing them of a far-reaching effort to sow discord in the U.S. election and steal sensitive data.
The three men—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi—allegedly targeted U.S. government officials, political campaigns, media personnel, and others. According to the indictment, the campaign was part of a broader initiative by Iran to erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process and acquire information to aid Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
At a press conference, Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the threat posed by foreign adversaries, including Iran, Russia, and China, who seek to influence U.S. politics through hacking, disinformation, and clandestine operations.
Garland asserted, “The American people, and the American people alone, will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.” The hack was reportedly motivated, in part, by Iran’s desire to avenge the 2020 assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian commander killed in a U.S. drone strike.
The Iranian hacking scheme has been active for several years, with their efforts expanding beyond Trump’s campaign to target former CIA officials, a U.S. ambassador, and other high-ranking individuals. The hackers used sophisticated techniques like social engineering, creating fake email accounts—including one in the name of a Supreme Court justice’s spouse—and deploying phishing links to gain access to victims’ accounts.
Notably, the hackers even attempted to infiltrate the Biden-Harris campaign during a 2020 debate, offering to share Trump’s debate prep material, though the effort did not affect the debate’s outcome.
The FBI and other U.S. agencies have been investigating these Iranian hacking efforts since June. Authorities have also announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the indicted hackers, who are believed to be residing in Tehran.
Despite the indictment, it remains uncertain whether the individuals will ever face trial, as Iran is unlikely to extradite them. The U.S. has, however, engaged in “name and shame” campaigns against foreign hackers in countries like Russia, China, and North Korea in hopes of deterring future attacks.
The hack underscores the ongoing cyber threat posed by foreign adversaries in U.S. elections. Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, urged the Biden administration to declassify and share more information with the public, bolstering confidence that the U.S. is responding forcefully to these threats.
Meanwhile, Iranian efforts to disrupt the U.S. election are expected to persist, with intelligence officials warning that Iran perceives this election as particularly important to its national security interests.