US downplays Iran-linked hackers’ threat, calls it digital propaganda

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday downplayed threats by an Iran-linked hacker group to disclose stolen emails from the US president's circle, calling it a smear campaign to demean Donald Trump.

“A hostile foreign adversary is threatening to illegally exploit purportedly stolen and unverified material in an effort to distract, discredit, and divide,” the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X.

“This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is nothing more than digital propaganda, and the targets are no coincidence.”

The department warned that any individuals responsible would be held accountable.

Hackers affiliated with Iran, using the pseudonym "Robert," have threatened to release additional stolen emails from associates of Trump, Reuters reported.

The group, which leaked an earlier batch of documents ahead of the 2024 presidential election, claims to possess roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from accounts linked to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, adviser Roger Stone, and Stormy Daniels, a well-known Trump critic.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the breach “an unconscionable cyberattack,” while FBI Director Kash Patel vowed that anyone involved in national security violations would face full prosecution.

“This is a calculated smear campaign meant to damage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants who serve our country with distinction. These criminals will be found and brought to justice,” the DHS said.

Despite earlier comments to Reuters suggesting that no further leaks were planned and that the group had “retired,” Robert re-emerged following the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which culminated in US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“Let this be a warning to others: there will be no refuge, tolerance, or leniency for these actions,” the DHS said.