Iran Hacked Trump Campaign, U.S. Intelligence Confirms

U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed that Iran was responsible for the recent hack targeting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

The FBI, alongside other federal agencies, released a joint statement indicating that Iran’s actions were part of a broader effort to disrupt the U.S. election process by sowing discord and undermining confidence in democratic institutions.

Recall that the Trump campaign on August 10, had accused Iran of hacking its internal communications, a charge that Iranian officials promptly denied. However, sources close to the investigation revealed that Iranian hackers may have also targeted the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

“The [intelligence community] is confident that the Iranians have, through social engineering and other efforts, sought access to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaigns of both political parties,” U.S. intelligence officials stated.

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They further noted that such activities, including data theft and disclosure, aimed at influencing the U.S. electoral process.

The Trump campaign reportedly received a spear-phishing email—a deceptive message crafted to appear legitimate, enticing the recipient to click on a malicious link. While the Harris campaign also reported a similar attack last week, they confirmed that it had been unsuccessful.

The agencies involved in Monday’s statement, including the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, emphasized that these tactics were not new. Both Russia and Iran have previously employed similar methods in earlier U.S. elections.

U.S. officials underscored that Iran’s actions were likely motivated by a desire to influence elections they perceive as having significant implications for their national security interests. The American intelligence community also noted an increase in aggressive Iranian cyber activities during this election cycle.

Concerns over potential Iranian cyber threats have been escalating. Recently, Microsoft reported “significant influence activity” linked to Iranian groups.

Google also revealed that, before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race last month, his campaign, like Trump’s, had been targeted by Iranian hackers.

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