US agencies accuse Iran of cyberattacks on Trump and Biden campaigns

Biden campaign staff received emails with stolen Trump material; Iran denies involvement in US election interference

Iranian hackers targeted individuals associated with Democratic President Joe Biden's re-election campaign by sending emails that included stolen material from Republican former President Donald Trump's campaign, according to a statement from US agencies on Wednesday.

The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence jointly confirmed that since June, Iranian cyber actors had continued attempts to send non-public information linked to Trump’s campaign to US media outlets.

The agencies stated that these actions were part of a broader effort by Iran to create discord and undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral process. They clarified that there was no evidence of any replies from the recipients but provided no further specifics regarding the nature of the stolen material.

In August, the US accused Iran of conducting cyber operations against both presidential candidates' campaigns and using influence tactics to heighten political tensions among the public. Iran, however, has denied any involvement, with its permanent mission to the UN in New York dismissing the allegations as baseless and asserting that Tehran has no reason to interfere in US elections.

The emails were reportedly sent to individuals connected with Biden’s campaign in late June and early July, containing excerpts from the stolen material. Biden withdrew from the presidential race on July 21, with Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in as the Democratic candidate. Polls indicate a close race between Trump and Harris.

Trump’s campaign issued a statement urging Harris and Biden to disclose whether they had used the hacked material to harm Trump's campaign. During a rally, Trump accused Iran of intervening in the election to assist Democrats, describing it as foreign interference.

A spokesperson for Harris’s campaign responded, stating that no material was directly sent to the campaign, adding that a few individuals were targeted in what appeared to be a phishing or spam attempt.

Tehran, meanwhile, highlighted its long-standing grievances against Washington, referencing past US actions, including the 1953 coup and the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani.