Skip to main content

US says Iran tried to influence election with messages to Biden camp

1 min Mena Today

Iranian cyber actors sent messages during the summer to people involved in President Joe Biden's then re-election campaign containing non-public material from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign as part of efforts to influence the Nov. 5 election, U.S. agencies said on Wednesday.

Supporters of U.S. President Joe Biden listen to him speak during a campaign event at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., July 12, 2024. Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz

Supporters of U.S. President Joe Biden listen to him speak during a campaign event at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., July 12, 2024. Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz

Iranian cyber actors sent messages during the summer to people involved in President Joe Biden's then re-election campaign containing non-public material from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign as part of efforts to influence the Nov. 5 election, U.S. agencies said on Wednesday.

"Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations," the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a joint statement.

Iran has previously denied interfering in U.S. elections.

Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

In August, the United States accused Iran of launching cyber operations against the campaigns of both U.S. presidential candidates and targeting the American public with influence operations aimed at fanning political discord.

Malicious cyber actors sent unsolicited emails to individuals in Biden's campaign in late June and early July that contained an excerpt from stolen material from Trump’s campaign as text in emails, according to Wednesday's statement.

Biden dropped out of the race for the White House on July 21 and was subsequently replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate.

Reporting by Costas Pitas and Kanishka Singh

Related

Iran

Talks begin in Switzerland

Peace talks led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf were set to begin on Sunday morning at a Swiss mountaintop resort as both nations seek a durable end to their war while disagreeing over Iran's claim that it had closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.  

Iran

Iran's negotiators head to Switzerland

A high-level Iranian team departed for Switzerland on Saturday for talks with the United States, Iranian state media reported, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance indicated he would set off soon for meetings that Pakistan said will begin on Sunday.

Iran

Trump's surrender: How a President forgot his own country's dead

There are mistakes, and then there are betrayals dressed up as diplomacy. Donald Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran - one that folds Lebanon into a ceasefire framework between Israel and Hezbollah - belongs firmly in the second category.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.