Washington: A shadowy group of hackers, believed to be tied to Iran’s state apparatus, has issued a renewed threat to release a vast collection of private emails allegedly hacked from top aides and associates of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The development comes amid rising geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran and has raised serious concerns within American intelligence and political circles.
Operating under the pseudonym “Robert”, the cyber group claims to have accessed and copied around 100 gigabytes of data, including emails, private messages, and files belonging to several prominent Trump allies. Among the names reportedly targeted are Susie Wiles, Trump’s White House Chief of Staff; Lindsey Halligan, one of his attorneys; Roger Stone, longtime political adviser; and even files linked to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress whose legal disputes with Trump have been a recurring media flashpoint.
The initial leaks began quietly in 2024 but had little visible effect on the election cycle. However, in a new email to Reuters, the group hinted that it may either sell or publicly dump the remaining sensitive material, though it stopped short of detailing the nature of the documents or the timing of their release.
This escalation coincides with a period of deepening hostility in the Middle East. Tensions peaked in recent weeks after a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign inside Iran and retaliatory strikes by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities. Analysts believe the hacker group’s actions could be part of an asymmetric digital retaliation strategy avoiding direct military confrontation while still inflicting reputational and political damage on American leadership.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the incident as a “cowardly and unlawful attempt to weaponize personal information for political manipulation.” FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed an active investigation is underway and warned that those responsible would face prosecution under U.S. cybercrime laws.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a public statement dismissing the data breach as a “smear campaign disguised as whistleblowing.” Officials have urged the public to be cautious about potential disinformation and stressed that many hacked materials are often taken out of context or deliberately altered to cause damage.
While the hacking group has not openly admitted ties to the Iranian government, cybersecurity experts believe the operation bears the hallmarks of prior Iranian state-backed cyber offensives, particularly those linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Past reports from U.S. intelligence agencies have noted increased cyber aggression from Iran, often targeting political figures, journalists, and think tanks viewed as adversarial to Tehran.
Frederick Kagan, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, described the leak threat as “a low-cost, high-impact move that fits perfectly within Iran’s non-conventional warfare doctrine.” According to Kagan, Iran may be seeking to apply “psychological and political pressure” without risking direct military escalation with the U.S. or its allies.
This episode is not the first instance of foreign actors using cyberattacks to influence U.S. politics. The rise of email leaks, information warfare, and politically timed disclosures has become a defining feature of 21st-century geopolitical confrontations. The Trump administration, in particular, has been the subject of multiple foreign-linked cyber incidents, some involving Russia, China, and Iran.
As the 2026 midterm election season approaches, cybersecurity agencies warn of increased risk to political institutions, campaign infrastructures, and public trust. Experts argue that the digital battlefield has become the new frontline of international power struggles, with potentially far-reaching consequences for democratic processes and international diplomacy.
It remains unclear when, or if, the remaining 100 GB of emails will be released. U.S. agencies are currently coordinating with allied intelligence networks to track the source of the breach and assess its potential impact.
As for Donald Trump and his inner circle, no official comment has been issued. However, political strategists note that the timing of the leaks just as Trump hints at returning to public political life may be strategically chosen to create maximum disruption.
The situation is being closely monitored, not only for its potential domestic fallout but also as a case study in how cyberwarfare is redefining global politics in the digital era.