By Amjad Qaimkhani
WASHINGTON: Iranian-affiliated hackers reportedly breached the personal Gmail account of Kash Patel, posting private photos and emails online in what cybersecurity experts described as a politically motivated operation amid escalating US-Israeli tensions with Iran.
The attack, claimed by a group calling itself the Handala Hack Team, has drawn attention for both its audacity and timing, coming as Washington and its allies maintained pressure on Tehran through military and diplomatic channels. The US administration has announced a $10 million bounty for information leading to the identification of the alleged perpetrators.
The Handala Hack Team, which presents itself as a pro-Palestinian vigilante collective, announced on its website that Patel’s name would “now find his place among the list of successfully hacked victims.” The group published photographs of Patel alongside a sample of more than 300 emails dating from 2010 to 2019, encompassing personal and work-related correspondence.
The US State Department has meanwhile offered up to $10 million for information on Iranian-linked cyber actors, including Handala and Parsian Afzar Rayan Borna. Analysts note that such operations form part of a broader Iranian cyber strategy aimed at embarrassing US officials and signaling capabilities in response to American and Israeli military activities.
Gil Messing, chief of staff at Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, described the attacks bluntly: “They are firing whatever they have.” The breach of Patel’s personal email follows a pattern of high-profile hacks targeting senior officials’ private communications, including attacks on John Podesta during the 2016 US presidential election and former CIA director John Brennan in 2015.
