U.S. Sanctions Iran-Backed Cyber Actors for Election Meddling

Department of State

The Department of State is taking coordinated action with other U.S. government agencies to respond to Iran's operations that seek to influence the 2024 U.S. election, as well as previous operations dating back to 2020. Today, the Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on three malicious cyber actors associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC's interference in U.S. elections, or associated individuals and entities. In addition, the Department of the Treasury is designating seven individuals. Concurrently, the Department of Justice is taking additional actions against multiple Iranian actors.

The Iranian regime is increasingly attempting to influence the outcome of the forthcoming U.S. election because it perceives the outcome will impact U.S. foreign policy towards Iran. Iranian state-sponsored actors have undertaken a variety of malicious cyber activities, such as hack-and-leak operations and spear-phishing, in an attempt to undermine confidence in the United States' election processes and institutions while also seeking to influence the political campaigns. The United States is committed to safeguarding the integrity of elections and democratic institutions around the world, including our own. Today's actions underscore our continuous efforts to expose and deter activities that target our democracy.

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