The three suspects are accused of working for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and targeting current and former U.S. government officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns.
Three men with ties to Iran have been indicted in relation to a hacking plot against former President Donald Trump's campaign, the Department of Justice announced Friday.
Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi are the three suspects named in the case, according to a federal indictment unsealed Friday afternoon.
Three Iranians Indicted in Plot to Hack Trump Campaign
The indictment alleges that the trio engaged in a "wide-ranging hacking campaign that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to target and compromise the accounts of current and former U.S. government officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns."
Last week, the U.S. revealed that the Iranian hackers had obtained information on the Trump campaign and tried to distribute it to people linked to the Biden campaign and media organizations since June.
Three Iranians Indicted in Plot to Hack Trump Campaign
The federal government acknowledges that the Trump campaign has been a specific and repeated target of Iran since he ordered the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Qods Force.
Trump was briefed Tuesday about "real and specific threats" from Iran to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate, according to his campaign.
Three Iranians Indicted in Plot to Hack Trump Campaign
Iran's aim to assassinate Trump is part of the Islamic Republic's efforts to "destabilize and sow chaos in the United States," Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a press release.
Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference, Cheung said.
The three suspects are accused of facing a long list of charges, including:
- Conspiracy to Obtain Information from a Protected Computer
- Defraud and Obtain a Thing of Value
- Commit Fraud Involving Authentication Features
- Commit Aggravated Identity Theft
- Commit Access Device Fraud
- Commit Wire Fraud While Falsely Registering Domains
If convicted, the three suspects could face up to 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to obtain information from a protected computer and each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The indictment is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Iran to the United States and its allies. The Iranian government has a long history of using cyberattacks to target its enemies, and it is likely that it will continue to do so in the future.
The United States must take all necessary steps to protect itself from Iranian cyberattacks. This includes investing in cybersecurity defenses, working with allies to share intelligence and coordinate responses, and deterring Iran from engaging in malicious cyber activity.
