Washington – An Iranian hacking group, previously implicated in cyberattacks targeting both major political parties, has recently attempted to infiltrate the WhatsApp accounts of staffers from both the Biden and Trump administrations, according to findings from Meta Platforms.
Meta’s investigation revealed that hackers posed as tech support representatives for well-known companies and used suspicious WhatsApp messages to lure targets. This activity has been linked to the same network responsible for prior intrusions into the Trump campaign.
This week, the FBI characterized the hacking of the Trump campaign and the attempted breach of the Biden-Harris campaign as part of a wider Iranian initiative aimed at meddling in the U.S. presidential election.
Meta disclosed that the hackers targeted WhatsApp accounts of individuals in the U.S., United Kingdom, and the Middle East, including officials associated with both presidential administrations. The platform has blocked a “small cluster” of accounts in response.
“While we have not found evidence of compromised accounts, we’re making our findings public and coordinating with law enforcement and industry experts as a precaution,” stated a Meta representative.
Recent reports suggest that the same Iranian group, linked to the Revolutionary Guard, has attempted to access personal email accounts of approximately a dozen affiliates of Biden and Trump since May. These findings build upon earlier research highlighting Iranian cyber threats during the election cycle.
U.S. intelligence officials indicate that Iran’s rising cyber aggression serves multiple purposes: to sow confusion and division among voters, to undermine confidence in U.S. democracy, and to oppose political candidates viewed as antagonistic toward Iran.
Iran has also expressed intentions of revenge against Trump, attributing its motivation to the former administration’s withdrawal from a nuclear deal, the reimposition of sanctions, and the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
In July, U.S. intelligence revealed that Iran’s government covertly supported protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with groups connected to Iran posing as activists and financially backing various protest initiatives.
No immediate response was received from the Trump and Biden campaigns regarding these developments.
