US charges three Iranians over Trump campaign hack

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 27: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks about the work done by the U.S. Marshal Service and partner agencies during Operation North Star at the Department of Justice on September 27, 2024 in Washington, DC. Garland also spoke about the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the department’s work to fight against foreign interference in the upcoming U.S. elections and a recent data that shows a decline in violent crime. (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

WASHINGTON, United States — The United States unveiled charges Friday against three individuals as it accused Iran of election interference, saying malicious actors had hacked the campaign of former president Donald Trump.

The three defendants were said to have conspired with others to carry out “a years-long, wide-ranging hacking operation on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The operation in recent times targeted individuals associated with US political campaigns.

“The defendants’ own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former president Trump’s campaign in advance of the 2024 US presidential election,” Garland said.

The cyber actors had “prepared for and engaged in a wide-ranging hacking campaign” that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to compromise accounts of US government officials and individuals associated with political campaigns, according to court documents.

“The message of the US government is clear: The American people, not a foreign power, decide the outcome of our country’s elections,” Garland added.

‘Grave’ threat

He noted that “there are few actors in this world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran.”

According to the indictment, the malicious cyber actors started work as early as in 2020, and around May 2024 began targeting and gaining unauthorized access to the personal accounts of people associated with a US presidential campaign.

They then sought to leak stolen material to members of the media and those believed to be associated with a second presidential campaign.

While the indictment does not name the second campaign, Garland said Friday there was no information suggesting recipients from President Joe Biden’s campaign responded.

This was before Biden dropped out of the White House race, with the United States going to the polls on November 5.

In a separate statement on Friday, the Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on seven individuals including Masoud Jalili — who was among the three charged — over efforts to interfere in US elections.

The Treasury “remains strongly committed to holding accountable those who see to undermine our institutions,” said Acting Treasury Under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Bradley Smith.

Besides Jalili, the Treasury also took aim at six staff and executives of Iranian cybersecurity firm Emennet Pasargad, saying it tried to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

“Between approximately August and November 2020, Emennet Pasargad led an online operation to intimidate and influence American voters, and to undermine voter confidence and sow discord,” the Treasury said.