Iran-linked hackers have threatened to disclose more e-mails stolen from US President Donald Trump’s circle, after distributing a previous batch to the media ahead of the 2024 US election.
In online chats with Reuters on June 29 and June 30, the hackers, who go by the pseudonym Robert, said they had roughly 100GB of e-mails from the accounts of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Mr Trump’s lawyer Lindsey Halligan, Mr Trump’s adviser Roger Stone and porn star-turned-Trump antagonist Stormy Daniels.
Robert raised the possibility of selling the material but otherwise did not provide details of their plans.
The hackers did not describe the content of the e-mails.
US Attorney-General Pam Bondi described the intrusion as “an unconscionable cyber attack”.
The White House and the FBI responded with a statement from FBI Director Kash Patel, who said: “Anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is nothing more than digital propaganda, and the targets are no coincidence. This is a calculated smear campaign meant to damage President Trump and discredit honourable public servants who serve our country with distinction,” cyber defence agency Cisa said in a post on X.
Ms Halligan, Mr Stone and a representative for Ms Daniels did not respond to requests for comment.
Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Tehran has in the past denied committing cyber espionage.
Robert materialised in the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign, when they claimed to have breached the e-mail accounts of several Trump allies, including Ms Wiles.
The hackers then distributed e-mails to journalists.
Reuters previously authenticated some of the leaked material, including an e-mail that appeared to document a financial arrangement between Mr Trump and lawyers representing former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr, now Mr Trump's health secretary.
Other materials included Trump campaign communication about Republican office-seekers and discussion of settlement negotiations with Ms Daniels.
Although the leaked documents did garner some coverage in 2024, they did not fundamentally alter the presidential race, which Mr Trump won.
The US Justice Department in a September 2024 indictment alleged that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards ran the Robert hacking operation.
In conversations with Reuters, the hackers declined to address the allegation.
After Mr Trump’s election, Robert told Reuters that no more leaks were planned.
As recently as May, the hackers told Reuters, “I am retired, man.”
But the group resumed communication after June’s 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, which was capped by US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites.
In messages this week, Robert said they were organising a sale of stolen e-mails and wanted Reuters to “broadcast this matter”.
American Enterprise Institute scholar Frederick Kagan, who has written about Iranian cyber espionage, said Tehran suffered serious damage in the conflict and its spies were likely trying to retaliate in ways that did not draw more US or Israeli action.
“A default explanation is that everyone’s been ordered to use all the asymmetric stuff that they can that’s not likely to trigger a resumption of major Israeli/US military activity,” he said. “Leaking a bunch more e-mails is not likely to do that.”
Despite worries that Tehran could unleash digital havoc, Iran’s hackers took a low profile during the conflict.
US cyber officials warned on June 30 that American companies and critical infrastructure operators might still be in Tehran’s crosshairs.
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