Iranian hackers to leak stolen emails of Trump's aides

A group of hackers allegedly linked to Iran has threatened to release more emails stolen from individuals closely associated with US President Donald Trump, just months after a previous leak made headlines ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

In online conversations with Reuters, the hackers claimed to possess roughly 100 gigabytes of data obtained from the email accounts of Trump’s inner circle.

Targets include White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, longtime adviser Roger Stone, and adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who was previously involved in a high-profile legal dispute with Trump.

Robert, who first emerged during the final phase of the 2024 election campaign, suggested the group may sell the stolen material but offered no clear timeline or content preview.

The hackers previously distributed leaked emails to selected journalists, some of which were authenticated by Reuters, including correspondence related to financial arrangements between Trump and attorneys representing Robert F Kennedy Jr, now serving as Trump's health secretary.

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Additional documents reportedly included internal campaign communications about Republican candidates and settlement discussions with Daniels. Despite limited media coverage at the time, the leaks Had little to no effect on the election outcome, as Trump ultimately won.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the breach, calling it “an unconscionable cyber-attack.” FBI Director Kash Patel issued a joint statement with the White House, asserting:

“Anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also responded, characterising the incident as a "cyber attack" and a part of a coordinated disinformation effort.

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Neither Halligan, Stone, nor a representative for Daniels responded to media inquiries. Iran’s mission to the United Nations also did not return requests for comment. Tehran has previously denied engaging in cyberespionage.

In a September 2024 indictment, the US Justice Department accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of orchestrating the Robert hacking operation. The hackers, however, declined to address those claims in their latest communications.

Frederick Kagan, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and expert on Iranian cyber operations, suggested the renewed hacking activity may be a form of retaliation.

“Iran suffered serious damage during the recent conflict. Cyberespionage gives them a low-risk avenue to strike back without provoking further direct retaliation,” Kagan said.

The FBI continues to investigate the breach, and national security officials are monitoring the situation closely as tensions with Iran remain high.