US intelligence officials said on Monday that they were confident Iran was responsible for hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
This cyber intrusion is viewed as part of Tehran's broader attempt to interfere in American politics and possibly influence the election outcome.
American Intel has been trying to trace out the links to the alleged hacking attacks undermining Donald Trump, Biden, and Harris election campaigns for the upcoming US presidential elections.
However, Iran rejected the claims as an attempt to malign the Islamic Republic’s image.
Iran maintains robust cyber and information capabilities in the Middle East and is viewed as a major threat by the United States.
This is for the first time that the FBI and other federal agencies have pointed fingers at Iran, stressing that foreign election interference remains a persistent threat.
Besides the intrusion into Trump's campaign, officials suspect Iran has also attempted to hack into Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.
Federal officials said the attacks were aimed "to create division and mistrust in the US and to undermine confidence in the integrity of our elections and our democratic processes," and to influence elections that are of particular interest to Iran's national security.
"We have seen increased Iranian cyber operations, notably affecting presidential campaigns," said a statement from the FBI.
Responding to these allegations, Iran's mission to the United Nations called the allegations "unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing" and challenged the US to provide evidence.
The statement from the FBI comes at a time of growing tensions between Washington and Tehran, as the US hurries to stop any retaliatory strike on Israel after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
There were at least three Biden-Harris campaign staffers who were targeted with phishing emails, though none were successful. "Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, is intended to influence the US election process," the statement added.
