Iran-Linked Hackers Breach FBI Director’s Email, Leak Personal Data
An Iran-linked hacking group has reportedly gained access to the email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and released personal photos and sensitive information online, according to US media reports.
The group, known as the Handala Hack Team, claimed responsibility for the breach, stating that Patel had now joined its list of “successfully hacked victims.”
Reports indicate that the compromised emails include personal, business, and travel correspondence dating from 2011 to 2022, before Patel’s appointment as FBI director by former US President Donald Trump. Authorities, including the FBI and the Justice Department, have yet to issue an official response.
Patel, who became the ninth FBI director in 2025, has faced criticism during his tenure, with some accusing him of using the agency for personal purposes and advancing political interests.
The hacking group, which presents itself as pro-Palestinian cyber activists, also claimed responsibility for a recent cyberattack on medical device company Stryker. Western analysts have previously linked the group to Iranian cyber intelligence networks.
According to the group, the attack was carried out in retaliation for a US-Israeli strike on a school in Minab, southern Iran, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 170 people, many of them schoolgirls.
The hackers described the operation as the start of “a new chapter in cyber warfare,” amid escalating tensions between Iran and Western allies. Iran has also signalled plans to intensify cyberattacks targeting Western economic interests as part of the broader conflict.
