WANA (Sep 28) – The U.S. Department of Justice has issued an indictment charging three Iranian men—Masoud Jalili, Seyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasser Balaghi—with cyberattacks against government officials, political campaigns, and media figures. The attacks’ aim is said to be the theft of information and the creation of distrust in the U.S. presidential elections.

 

According to the indictment, these individuals planned a large-scale hacking campaign in retaliation for the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who was targeted by the U.S. military at Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.

 

The hacking targets included Trump’s lawyers, former CIA officials, and former U.S. ambassadors. Suzy Wiles, a senior advisor to Trump’s campaign, was among the targets of the hacking campaign. Sources familiar with the investigation indicated that other individuals in Trump’s camp, including campaign advisors, were also at risk.

 

The FBI has been focusing on hacking activities since June, revealing that one of the hacking targets included Trump’s lawyers, former CIA officials, and a former U.S. ambassador. According to the Washington Post, an individual named “Robert,” who claims to represent Iran, is providing the stolen information to the media.

 

The Attorney General of the United States also emphasized the efforts of Iran, Russia, and China to interfere in U.S. politics and elections through hacking and the dissemination of false information.