U.S. accuses Iran of hacking Trump campaign files in election interference effort

U.S. authorities have accused three Iranian men of hacking and leaking files from Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. This operation is the largest of its kind since Russia's interference in the 2016 election, marking a significant escalation in Iran's election influence efforts. Iran's previous attempts to interfere in U.S. elections included hacking local government systems and staging fake campaigns. In 2020, Iranian hackers impersonated the Proud Boys and sent threatening emails to Democratic voters, claiming to have hacked voting systems, which was later proven false. Additionally, Iranian hackers accessed a media company to spread disinformation about election results. They also circulated a hit list targeting U.S. political figures involved in the election process, further demonstrating their intent to create division and distrust in the U.S. electoral system.