U.S. Federal Police Investigates Alleged Hack of Trump Campaign by Islamic Republic

The FBI confirmed on Monday in response to Voice of America that it is investigating a report of an alleged hack of Donald Trump's campaign headquarters by the Islamic Republic. This decision by the FBI comes days after Trump's campaign announced that the Iranian government had hacked the campaign's computer network and stolen sensitive documents. The Trump campaign did not provide any specific evidence showing Iranian involvement, but the claim arose shortly after Microsoft released a report detailing foreign agents' attempts to interfere in the 2024 U.S. election efforts. The Iranian representative at the United Nations denied Tehran's involvement in response to a question from the Associated Press regarding the Trump campaign's allegations. However, Iranian officials had previously threatened Trump with death over the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force. Soleimani, before his death, had mentioned Trump in a speech, stating that his forces were near 'you' in places Trump did not expect. Recently, various reports have emerged regarding threats from the Islamic Republic against Trump or his campaign. On August 7, the U.S. government charged a Pakistani citizen connected to the Islamic Republic with conspiracy to hire mercenaries to kill American politicians and government officials. According to a knowledgeable U.S. official, 'FBI investigators believe Donald Trump and other current and former U.S. officials were the primary targets of this conspiracy.' The accused, 46-year-old Asif Merchant, is reported to have a wife and several children in both Pakistan and Iran. U.S. officials stated he is in custody in the United States. Earlier in August, following the latest assessment from U.S. intelligence officials, a U.S. intelligence official told reporters that the Islamic Republic had decided to act biasedly in its efforts to interfere in the U.S. elections and to harm Trump's campaign using its influence campaign. This U.S. official said: 'Iran's preference essentially reflects its unwillingness to escalate tensions with the United States.' He stated that the Iranian government is opposing a candidacy that Tehran leaders believe would increase these tensions. In late July, after a man attempted to assassinate Trump at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania, two U.S. officials said that new threats from the Iranian government had emerged prior to the assassination attempt, prompting the U.S. Secret Service to take steps to enhance Trump's protection. This report is compiled from various sources, including the Associated Press and previous reports published by Voice of America. The White House condemned any foreign attempts to interfere in U.S. elections and takes it very seriously. Experts warn about disruptions in U.S. elections following reports of the Trump campaign being hacked. The Trump campaign accused the Islamic Republic of hacking internal communications to interfere in the elections; the White House condemned this. An American legislator described the alleged Iranian terrorist conspiracy involving a Pakistani citizen as horrifying. The arrest of the Pakistani citizen for attempting to hire a 'hitman' on behalf of the Islamic Republic was also noted. U.S. intelligence officials assessed that the Islamic Republic, unlike Russia, aims to prevent Trump's rise to power. The FBI director explained to Congress about the assassination attempt on Trump and the threats from the Islamic Republic.