U.S. Charges 3 Iranian Revolutionary Guard with Hack-and-Leak Acts to Influence U.S. Election

             On September 27, 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian nationals and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) employees, Masoud Jalili, 36, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, 34, and Yaser Balaghi, 37 (the conspirators), with a conspiracy with others known and unknown to hack into accounts of current and former U.S. officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns.[1]  The activity was part of the Iranian Government’s continuing efforts to fuel discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and illegally obtain information concerning current and former U.S. officials that could be used to further the malign activities of the IRGC, including its efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).[2]