The U.S. Department of Justice has announced an indictment against three Iranian nationals affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for their suspected roles in a “hack-and-leak” operation aimed at influencing the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Details of the Indictment
The accused—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yaser Balaghi—are charged with various cybercrimes designed to disrupt democratic processes in the United States. The indictment outlines a sophisticated cyber campaign that targeted current and former U.S. officials, media members, and individuals involved in U.S. political campaigns.
In response to these allegations, the State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of the accused.
The operation commenced in January 2020, involving the hacking of personal accounts to acquire sensitive information, which the conspirators then attempted to weaponize by leaking it to sway electoral outcomes. The Justice Department asserts that these actions are part of Iran’s broader strategy to create discord and diminish trust in the U.S. electoral process, including efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former IRGC-Qods Force commander.
The indictment reveals that the conspirators employed spearphishing and social engineering tactics to gain unauthorized access to accounts and steal confidential campaign documents.
Impact on U.S. Presidential Campaigns
The cyber actors specifically targeted individuals linked to one U.S. presidential campaign (“U.S. Presidential Campaign 1”) in an effort to undermine it by leaking stolen materials to another campaign (“U.S. Presidential Campaign 2”) and various media outlets. This hack-and-leak strategy aimed to manipulate public perception and influence voter behavior leading up to the 2024 election.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland condemned these actions as a direct attack on the integrity of American democratic institutions, pledging the Justice Department’s commitment to combatting foreign interference and ensuring that election outcomes are determined solely by American voters.
The indictment raises ongoing concerns regarding foreign meddling in U.S. elections, with FBI Director Christopher Wray stating that this case exemplifies Iran’s attempts to interfere in American affairs through cyber activities.
The FBI has been investigating this case with significant support from various field offices and private sector partners, including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Meta. Furthermore, the Department of the Treasury has enacted sanctions against the indicted individuals under executive orders aimed at countering foreign interference.
