Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, was recently informed by the bureau that he had been targeted in a cyberattack by Iranian hackers, according to a report by CNN on Tuesday that also said the hackers may have gained access to some of Patel’s communications during the breach.

The incident is part of a broader pattern of Iranian hacking efforts aimed at Trump associates. In September, the Justice Department charged three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for a series of cyberattacks targeting Trump campaign staffers during the 2020 presidential election. The hackers allegedly leaked sensitive information to media outlets and the campaign of then-candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in an effort to undermine Trump’s reelection bid.

The IRGC’s “wide-ranging hacking campaign” employed phishing emails and social engineering methods to infiltrate the accounts of Trump campaign operatives, government officials, journalists, and others. Among the stolen materials was a dossier on Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and preparation notes for Trump’s June 2020 presidential debate with Biden.

According to the DOJ, the operation began in January 2020 following Trump’s order for an airstrike in Iraq that killed IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani, escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Patel, 44, a staunch Trump ally, was announced as the incoming FBI director on Saturday. The New York native previously served in senior national security roles during Trump’s first term, including as an official on the National Security Council, senior adviser to the acting Director of National Intelligence, and chief of staff to the acting U.S. Secretary of Defense.

His appointment, however, depends on the resignation or firing of current FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term runs until 2027, as well as Senate confirmation.

In response to the cyberattack and other security concerns, the Trump transition team announced Tuesday that it would allow the FBI to conduct background checks on incoming administration officials,

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)