Three Iranian nationals indicted for hacking Trump campaign

Three Iranian nationals have been indicted in the US for their alleged involvement in a hacking campaign targeting former President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign. The US Justice Department unsealed charges against Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, Yasar Balaghi, and Masoud Jalili, who are believed to be affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The three individuals, based in Iran, face charges including material support for terrorism, computer fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.

Though no evidence suggests the stolen data was used, Iran’s intent to influence the US election was highlighted. The State Department has issued a $10 million reward for information leading to the capture of Aghamiri, Balaghi, and Jalili. According to the indictment, the hackers impersonated government officials and used spear-phishing tactics to infiltrate systems and steal sensitive information. Their motives, beyond general geopolitical disruption, reportedly included avenging the death of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US strike in January 2020.

The US and UK governments issued indictments alongside sanctions and alerts, highlighting ongoing cybersecurity threats posed by the IRGC. Both countries’ cybersecurity agencies jointly released a 14-page advisory detailing recent cyber activities linked to the IRGC, cautioning against tactics described in the indictment and additional tools used to target presidential campaigns, senior government officials, think tank leaders, journalists, activists, and lobbyists. In addition, John Hultquist from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group stated that Iran controls ‘multiple contractors’ responsible for some of the most aggressive cyber operations in the Middle East, Europe, and the US.