Tehran-linked group hacks FBI director’s personal email
Hackers from the Hanzala group, which is believed to have ties to Iran, hacked into the personal email of FBI Director Kash Patel and posted documents and photos they obtained online.
Hanzala, one of the most active cybercrime groups since the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, is considered by many cybersecurity experts to be linked to the Islamic Republic.
The hackers posted photos of Patel dating back to before he was appointed director of the FBI in 2025, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the documents, as confirmed by other media outlets.
The Hanzala group claimed responsibility for the hack in a message posted on monitored social media accounts, noting that the operation came in response to the FBI’s confiscation of its domain names.
Last week, the US Department of Justice announced the seizure of four websites, two of which bear the name Hanzala, citing their links to the cyber hacking activities of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
