Intelligence agencies, including the FBI, concluded Monday that Iran was behind the hacking of the Trump campaign and that it had attempted to disrupt both presidential campaigns.
“We have observed an escalation in Iranian aggressive activity during this election cycle, particularly influence operations targeting the American people and cyber operations targeting the presidential campaign, including recently reported activity aimed at damaging former President Trump’s campaign that the intelligence community has attributed to Iran,” the FBI, along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said in a statement.
The statement continued, “This country has sought to reach individuals who have direct access to the presidential campaigns of both parties.”
“These activities, including theft and disclosure, are intended to influence the U.S. electoral process,” they wrote.
The Trump campaign said earlier this month that Iran was behind the hack, but intelligence officials have not yet provided information on who carried out the hack.
Intelligence agencies have repeatedly pointed to Iran’s efforts to influence the election, saying both Iran and China, along with Russia, are increasingly working to spread disinformation and sow discord among the American public ahead of the election.
“Iran views this year’s elections as particularly significant in terms of their potential implications for its national security interests, and Tehran’s increasing willingness to manipulate the results,” the agencies said in a statement.
Earlier this summer, some media outlets reported that Iran was plotting to assassinate former President Trump.
Iran has denied any role in the hacking and assassination plots.
“These allegations are baseless and completely without basis,” a spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement Monday.
“As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran has neither the intention nor the motive to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. If the U.S. government truly believes its claims are valid, it should provide us with the appropriate evidence, and we will respond accordingly.”
The intelligence statement condemned Iran’s actions but did not specify whether the United States planned to retaliate.
“We will not tolerate foreign efforts to influence or interfere in our elections, including targeting American political campaigns,” the agencies said.
Additionally, the agencies urge campaigns and other election-related entities to report suspicious activity to the FBI.
This memo was sent by the Trump campI don’t think they notified the FBI.That means you’ve been hacked.
Updated at 7:33 PM
