September 28, 2024 at 02:24AM
Three Iranian nationals, allegedly employed with the IRGC, were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for targeting officials and political campaigns to steal sensitive data, aiming to undermine the U.S. electoral process. They are accused of engaging in hack-and-leak operations and a wide-ranging hacking campaign. The U.S. government has imposed sanctions and issued a reward for information on them.
The meeting notes detail the unsealing of criminal charges against three Iranian nationals accused of targeting U.S. officials, stealing sensitive data, and undermining the U.S. electoral process. Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi, allegedly members of the Basij Resistance Force, engaged in hacking activities targeting current and former U.S. officials, media members, and individuals associated with political campaigns. The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have emphasized the impact of these hacking activities on the integrity of the U.S. democratic processes.
In response, the U.S. government has taken actions, including unsealing the indictment, issuing a reward of up to $10 million for information on the accused individuals and their activities, and imposing sanctions on some individuals allegedly involved in the malicious cyber activities. The Department of State has also stated that Iranian state-sponsored actors have been involved in spear-phishing and hack-and-leak operations in attempts to undermine confidence in the U.S. election processes and institutions.
Furthermore, it is mentioned that Iran has denied these accusations, emphasizing its cybersecurity as defensive and proportionate. The indictment is part of the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to counter foreign interference in the upcoming election, with other recent actions targeting Russian state media outlet employees for allegedly funding pro-Trump social media influencers in the U.S.