In Washington, US intelligence agencies have attributed the disruption of Donald Trump's presidential campaign to Iranian cyber activities. This marks the first time Iran has been officially accused of influencing a US presidential race, especially one that saw Trump emerge victorious.
The FBI, along with other national security agencies, has emphasized that the election in question was of significant importance. Iran, recognizing this, has engaged in sophisticated cyber operations and other disruptive measures aimed at meddling in the U.S. political landscape to sow discord and undermine confidence in democratic processes.
“In the recent election cycle, we observed Iran’s intensifying efforts to target both cyber and influence operations directed at the state and various presidential campaigns,” reads a joint announcement from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The intelligence briefing revealed that Iranian cyber agents attempted to infiltrate networks associated with key individuals close to the campaigns of both major political parties. The FBI has launched an investigation following attempts to hack Democrat Kamala Harris's campaign networks.