The US Department of Justice has indicted three Iranian hackers—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi—for orchestrating a hacking campaign targeting former US President Donald Trump’s campaign team.
The charges, announced today, underscore an attempt to interfere with the 2024 US elections. These hackers used spear-phishing and social engineering techniques to steal sensitive information from government officials, members of the media, and Trump campaign staffers.
The stolen data was later leaked to news organizations in an effort to sway public opinion and create chaos in the political environment.
This hacking campaign is said to be driven by Iran’s retaliation for the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, under Trump’s administration.
General Soleimani was a top figure in Iran’s military strategy, and his assassination heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.
According to the DOJ, the cyberattacks aimed to discredit Trump, stoke division, and challenge the integrity of the American electoral process.
Election Interference by Foreign Actors
Election interference from foreign countries is not a new phenomenon for the US. In the 2024 election cycle, intelligence agencies have raised alarms over interference attempts from various foreign entities.
Iran, China, and Russia have been named for their efforts to meddle with US elections and spread propaganda.
According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Iranian hackers’ actions fall in line with similar attempts by foreign governments to weaken America’s democracy.
He stated, “We know that Iran is continuing its brazen efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and advance its malign activities to the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
Despite the hackers’ efforts, no major media outlets published the leaked campaign material. The Biden campaign also received the compromised data but chose to ignore it.
This act of restraint by media and political entities highlights the seriousness of election integrity and the importance of not falling prey to foreign interference schemes.
The Hackers and Their Methods
The hackers targeted their victims using spear-phishing—an email scam designed to trick people into divulging sensitive information, such as passwords.
They also used social engineering techniques to manipulate individuals into giving away their personal credentials.
Once these details were compromised, the hackers infiltrated critical accounts tied to Trump’s campaign, collecting confidential documents, communications, and internal strategies.
In response to these cyberattacks, the US State Department has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of these Iranian nationals.
Although the hackers remain at large, the indictment signals the US’s determination to hold foreign actors accountable for attempts to manipulate its democratic processes.
US Election Security Efforts Continue
The 2024 US elections face numerous cyber threats as various international players attempt to interfere.
Beyond Iran’s involvement, Chinese and Russian state actors have also been identified as spreading false information and using online platforms to influence voter opinion.
In the face of these threats, Attorney General Garland reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to safeguarding election integrity: “The American people, and the American people alone, will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.”
