Iran release FBI director's personal photos after hacking into email account
Iranian hackers say they have somehow got into the emails of FBI Director Kash Patel, leaking photos and emails they claim to have uncovered.
These allegations seem to have been confirmed by a justice department official, who stated that Patel's emails had been broken into, with all published material appearing authentic.
This incident is the latest episode in the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, which has stretched far beyond the conflict which is taking place in the Middle East region.
Iran's close patrolling of the Strait of Hormuz, which is responsible for 20 percent of the world's crude oil supply, has had detrimental effects on the global economy.
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Taking cyber action though, is a hacker group known as the Handala Hack Team, who wrote on their website that Patel, a Donald Trump ally, 'will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims'.
An FBI spokesperson said in a statement: "The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity.
"The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information."
A reward of up to $10 million has been offered by the State Department for information on Iranian hackers who are continuing to threaten the US.
Among Patel's emails are a number of both personal and work-related matters from between 2010 and 2019.
All of the emails are dated before Patel's work with the Trump administration, with metadata suggesting that they were hacked before the war began.
Most of the emails are dated between 2010 and 2012, with the most recent being a plane ticket receipt from 2022.
The majority of these appeared to be personal, with messages sent between the director's family, including photos of his children and a trip to Cuba.
Handala say that they are a group of pro-Palestinian hackers, though some believe that it is a front for Iranian government cyber-intelligence units.
They have been more active than normal since the US and Israel waged war on Iran.
On 11 March, Handala claimed an attack on US medical device maker Stryker, which caused widespread disruption.
Patel's email leak is not the first time the hacking group published confidential information in relation to their enemies' high-ranking officials, having reportedly published the addresses and phone numbers of numerous Israeli officials.
The US and Iran are believed to be preparing for peace talks, though the US has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East this week.
American Central Command confirmed today (27 March) that over 300 US troops have been wounded since the start of the war, which has been coined as 'Operation Epic Fury'.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed: “Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 US service members have been wounded. The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 273 troops have returned to duty.”
Joshua Nair