Iran-linked hackers, collectively known as "Robert," say they may release more emails stolen from aides and associates of President Trump. The group previously leaked documents from Trump's campaign during the 2024 US election and now claim to have about 100 gigabytes of emails sourced from people including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, adviser Roger Stone, and adult film star Stormy Daniels, per Reuters. The hackers say they're considering selling the material, but they offered no further details about the content.
The US government has linked Robert to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, but the hackers haven't commented on that allegation. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the hack "an unconscionable cyberattack," while FBI Director Kash Patel said breaches of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted. The US cyberdefense agency CISA characterized the hack as a calculated propaganda effort to smear Trump and his associates.
The group first surfaced in late 2024, claiming to have accessed email accounts of several Trump allies and later providing some emails to journalists. Some of these documents, verified by Reuters, included campaign communications, coordination with lawyers, and discussions about a settlement with Daniels. Despite the leaks, they didn't significantly affect the election outcome. Axios notes that during the 2024 campaign, Iran was seen to be an even bigger threat than Russia.
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Iran's government, however, has previously denied involvement in cyberspying. After Trump's win in November, the hackers initially said they were finished leaking—"I am retired, man" is what Robert said in May to Reuters—but they reemerged following recent military tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran. Experts suggest Iran is turning to cyber operations to retaliate without escalating direct conflict. US officials continue to warn of possible cyberthreats targeting American companies and infrastructure.
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