US intelligence agencies have accused Iran of orchestrating cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the upcoming November elections. The allegations, made public on Tuesday, August 19, claim that Iran has targeted the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, aiming to exacerbate political divisions among American voters.
Iran Accused of Cyberattacks on US Presidential Campaigns
This is the first time that the FBI and other federal agencies have formally addressed widespread concerns about foreign interference in the country’s elections. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (responsible for defending US government computer systems) stated in a joint statement: “These cyberattacks include recent activities related to the Trump campaign, the former president, and [the intelligence community] attributes it to Iran.”
The statement also confirmed allegations made by Donald Trump’s election campaign that the Islamic Republic had launched a cyberattack against them. Previously, Trump’s presidential campaign had accused Iran of hacking one of its websites in early August. At the time, Trump stated that Iran had not succeeded in its attack and had “only managed to access public information.”
Iran Also Targets Democratic Candidate
The joint statement from the US security agencies also claimed that Iran had targeted the campaign of Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Harris is set to formally accept the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination at the party’s convention, which began on Tuesday.
The allegations of Tehran’s hacking attacks against Washington come at a time of significant tensions between the two countries, amid the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza.
Lack of Details on Iran’s Alleged Interference
US security agencies have not provided details of Iran’s alleged interference, and it is unclear how they concluded that Iran is responsible for these cyberattacks. They also did not explain the nature of the information that may have been stolen from the Trump and Harris campaigns.
In response to these allegations, Iran’s representation at the United Nations issued a statement calling these accusations “baseless and hollow” and asked Washington to publish evidence of its claims. Iran’s delegation to the United Nations also stated that “as we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention or motivation to interfere in the US presidential election.”
However, the statement from US security agencies stated that the intelligence community is confident that Iranian actors are using social engineering and other tools “to gain access to individuals who have direct access to the presidential election headquarters of both sides.”
Cyberattacks Aimed at Influencing US Election
The statement added, without providing details, that these activities include data theft and disclosures intended “to influence the course of the US elections.” The US presidential election will be held on November 5.
Google announced this month that Iran-backed hackers have targeted the presidential campaigns of both Democrats and Republicans. Google reported that a hacking group known as APT42, associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has targeted high-profile individuals and organizations in Israel and the United States, including government officials and political campaigns.
Cyberattacks on election campaigns in the US are not unprecedented. In 2016, the hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s emails, attributed to Russia, exposed internal party communications, including those about Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. Trump, who won that election, was criticized for praising the cyberattack and disclosure against Clinton.
This is a summary of original Radio Zamaneh content crafted with the help of AI, edited by a Radio Zamaneh editor. To read the original article, click here.
