A US grand jury has indicted several Iranian nationals on charges related to hacking efforts targeting Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, according to a report by Politico on Thursday.
While the specific names of the defendants and the exact criminal charges remain undisclosed, the grand jury reportedly approved the indictment in secret on Thursday afternoon. An official announcement from the Department of Justice is expected as early as Friday.
The Trump campaign disclosed in August that its internal communications had been compromised, accusing the Iranian government of orchestrating the cyberattack.
US government agencies, in statements last week, alleged that Iranian hackers had disseminated stolen materials from Trump’s campaign to individuals involved with Democratic President Joe Biden’s re-election effort. The broader allegation suggested Tehran's attempts to influence the upcoming US elections.
Biden, who withdrew from the 2024 race in late July, was succeeded by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris now faces a tight race against Trump as the November 5th election draws near.
In August, the US had accused Iran of conducting cyber operations against both major presidential campaigns, allegations which Iran has denied. However, the US intelligence community suggests that Iran's cyber influence efforts have grown more sophisticated and emboldened as the 2024 election nears. This marks a shift from 2020, when Iranian hackers, while involved, were considered minor players in the broader field of foreign election interference.
"Iran is becoming increasingly bold in its attempts to stoke discord and erode trust in our democratic institutions," US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned in a statement issued in July.
Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House, stated on Wednesday that Iran may have been behind recent assassination attempts against him. He added that any country targeting a US presidential candidate under his leadership would risk being "blown to smithereens."
Tensions between Trump and Iran have remained high since his administration ordered an airstrike in 2020 that killed Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, an event for which Iranian officials have long sought retribution.
Adding to these tensions, the US Department of Justice charged a Pakistani man in July with plotting to kill high-ranking US officials on behalf of Iran. Though the target was not named in the charging documents, reports have widely speculated that Trump was the intended victim.
