US Tries Three Iranians on Charges of Trying to Undermine Trump's Presidential Campaign, Stealing Information in Revenge for Soleimani's Killing

US federal prosecutors on Friday unveiled criminal charges against three hackers linked to the Iranian government in connection with a hacking operation targeting Donald Trump's presidential campaign, CNN reported.

The three Iranians are accused of a years-long hacking attempt targeting current and former American officials and journalists, including the Trump campaign this summer, according to the indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Masoud Jalili, Seyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasser Balaghi are charged with aggravated identity theft and wire fraud for their hacking efforts on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Between June and August, the hackers used access to a Trump campaign official’s personal email account to steal “debate preparation” materials and information about potential vice presidential candidates, according to the indictment. The Justice Department alleged that some of the material was leaked to American media outlets as part of an Iranian effort to sow discord during the election.

“The defendants’ words make it clear that they were trying to undermine former President Trump’s campaign ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters on Friday.

He added: "These authoritarian regimes, which violate the human rights of their citizens, have no right to participate in the democratic process in our country."

According to CNNAccording to the indictment, the hackers were also trying to steal information held by current and former U.S. officials that could be used to help in “ongoing efforts to avenge the killing of Qassem Soleimani,” the former head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force who was killed by the United States in a strike authorized by Trump in January 2020.

The US website indicated that the US Treasury Department had previously imposed sanctions on seven individuals, including Jalili (one of the three current defendants), as part of a comprehensive response to Iranian efforts to "influence or interfere" in the 2020 and 2024 US presidential elections.

The alleged Iranian hacking turned the presidential campaign around in August when several news outlets reported receiving emails from a pseudonymous email account selling stolen Trump campaign documents.