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Donald Trump has accused Iran of hacking his campaign and stealing sensitive documents.
What the Trump campaign said: The Trump campaign alleges that Iranian hackers breached their operation and stole sensitive internal documents, including a research file on Ohio Senator JD Vance, who was later selected as Trump’s running mate. This dossier, reportedly obtained months before Vance’s selection, was anonymously distributed to media outlets, sparking concerns within the campaign about foreign attempts to interfere in the 2024 election.
Trump comments: In a statement, Trump said, “We were just informed by Microsoft Corporation that one of our many websites was hacked by the Iranian Government – Never a nice thing to do! They were only able to get publicly available information but, nevertheless, they shouldn’t be doing anything of this nature. Iran and others will stop at nothing, because our Government is Weak and Ineffective, but it won’t be for long. What Iran doesn’t realize is that I will make the World a better and safer place, and that’s good for them, also!”
Spokesman comments: When asked about the dossier, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, “These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our Democratic process. The Iranians know that President Trump will stop their reign of terror just like he did in his first four years in the White House.”
Iran responds: In a brief comment, Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York City said, “The Iranian government neither possesses nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the United States presidential election.” They added, “We do not accord any credence to such reports.”
What Microsoft previously warned: Earlier this year, Microsoft warned about a significant rise in foreign interference in the 2024 US presidential election, focusing on Iranian activities. The report highlighted that Iranian military intelligence, known as Mint Sandstorm, had carried out a spear-phishing attack in June 2024 targeting a senior official in a US presidential campaign. This attack was part of a broader pattern of cyber-influence operations by Iran, which Microsoft observed had intensified as the election approached.
Digging Deeper: Iran’s hatred towards Donald Trump is rooted in key actions taken during his presidency that severely damaged relations between Tehran and Washington. The most significant of these was Trump’s decision to order a 2020 drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, an act that Iran has vowed to avenge. In addition, Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the reimposition of crippling sanctions further strained ties and impacted Iran’s economy.
