In a recent shift, United States intelligence officials reportedly adjusted their assessment of foreign threats to the upcoming election.
While Russia was initially labeled as the “preeminent threat” in July, the focus has now shifted to Iran.
Tehran is allegedly more active in attempting to influence the election, specifically targeting former President Donald Trump’s candidacy.
This comes amid broader concerns about election security and foreign interference efforts, including from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The report comes after earlier this week, the campaign for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reported that some of its internal communications had been compromised.
The campaign attributed the breach to Iranian hackers, reflecting the strained history between Trump and the Iranian government, though they did not present direct evidence to support this claim.
This statement followed a report from Politico, which revealed that an anonymous source had been sending emails containing internal documents from Trump’s campaign.
Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement condemning the breach, asserting that the documents were unlawfully obtained from foreign entities with hostile intentions. Cheung emphasized that these actions were part of a broader effort to disrupt the 2024 election and undermine the democratic process.
Cheung’s statement also referenced a report from Microsoft researchers that disclosed an attempt by Iranian-affiliated hackers to infiltrate the account of a “high-ranking official” on the U.S. presidential campaign in June. The report, however, did not specify the identity of this official.
“The Iranian government is well aware that President Trump, if elected, will decisively counter their attempts to destabilize the region, just as he did during his previous term in office,” Cheung remarked.
