The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the indictment of three Iranian nationals linked to a sophisticated cyber operation that targeted the presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump. The indictment, filed in Washington, details charges of computer intrusion, wire fraud, and identity theft against Masoudili Aghamiri, Yaser Balaghi, and another individual associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The hacking operation, which took place in May 2024, involved the unauthorized access and theft of emails and documents from Trump's campaign. The stolen materials were subsequently disseminated to media outlets and individuals connected to Trump's Democratic rival, then-candidate Joe Biden. U.S. officials have confirmed that this breach is part of a broader pattern of foreign interference in American elections.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, "The American people, not a foreign entity, determine the outcomes of our elections. Not Iran and its nefarious cyber operations." He emphasized the seriousness of foreign attempts to undermine U.S. democracy and highlighted ongoing threats from other nations, including Russia and China.
The indictment reveals that the hackers employed spear-phishing tactics to compromise personal email accounts of several high-profile individuals, including former U.S. officials and advisors to Trump. The hackers created counterfeit email accounts impersonating current and former officials to trick campaign associates into accessing emails containing malware.
In a related development, an independent journalist recently published a document believed to be linked to the stolen materials from Trump's campaign, marking the first public appearance of such files. This incident underscores the growing audacity of foreign cyber operations aimed at influencing U.S. elections.
Iranian officials have vehemently denied these allegations, labeling them as "completely unfounded" and lacking credibility. However, U.S. intelligence agencies continue to monitor and respond to these threats as part of their commitment to safeguarding electoral integrity.
Matthew Olsen, head of the National Security Division, remarked on the unprecedented nature of foreign interference in current elections: "Let me be as clear as possible: this is not a hoax. It is genuinely occurring.