US slams ‘smear campaign' as pro-Iran hackers threaten to release Trump material
The US warned of continued Iranian cyberattacks after American strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities and the threats they could pose to services, economic systems and companies.
Advertisement
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said the threat to expose emails about the president is 'nothing more than digital propaganda' meant to damage Mr Trump and other federal officials.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is among the figures whose emails are reported to be involved (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
'A hostile foreign adversary is threatening to illegally exploit purportedly stolen and unverified material in an effort to distract, discredit and divide,' CISA spokeswoman Marci McCarthy wrote in a social media post.
'These criminals will be found, and they will be brought to justice.'
Reuters reported that it contacted the alleged hackers online, and they told the news organisation that they had a large cache of emails from Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles, other senior advisers and porn actress Stormy Daniels, to whom a hush money payment led to Mr Trump's criminal conviction.
Advertisement
Federal prosecutors charged three Iranians last year on allegations of hacking into Mr Trump's presidential campaign. Hackers also targeted the campaign of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and unsuccessfully tried to leak material supposedly taken from Mr Trump to Democrats and members of the media.
Stormy Daniels (Alamy/PA)
The threat to release more hacked emails was reported on the day that CISA, the FBI and the National Security Agency issued a public bulletin warning that hacking groups supportive of Tehran may attack US interests despite a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
The hackers, authorities warned, could seek to disrupt or disable critical infrastructure systems such as utilities, transportation and economic hubs. They also could target defence contractors or other American companies with ties to Israel, the agencies said.
The bulletin outlined recommendations, including the use of regular software updates and strong password management systems to shore up digital defences.
Advertisement
Hackers backing Tehran have targeted US banks, defence contractors and energy companies after American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, but so far have not caused widespread disruptions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ukraine-Russia war latest: US halts weapons shipments after Macron holds first Putin phone call since 2022
The Pentagon has halted some shipments of air defence missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns about low stockpiles at home, a significant setback for Ukraine as it tries to fend off escalating attacks from Russia. Air defence interceptors that help in shooting down Russian drones and projectiles are among the items whose shipment has been delayed. In an email, the Pentagon said it was providing president Donald Trump with options to continue military aid to Ukraine in line with the goal of ending Russia's war there. Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin had a "substantial" phone call with French president Emmanuel Macron on the Iran-Israel conflict and Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, the first such exchange between the two leaders since September 2022. In Paris, Macron's office said the call lasted two hours and that the French leader had called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of negotiations on ending the conflict. US halts some missile shipments to Ukraine over low stockpiles, sources say The Pentagon has halted some shipments of air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns that US stockpiles are too low, two people familiar with the decision said on Tuesday. The slowing of some weapons shipments promised to Kyiv by former president Joe Biden's administration came in recent days, they said, adding that air defense interceptors to help knock down Russian drones and projectiles are among the items delayed. In an email, the Pentagon said it was providing president Donald Trump with options to continue military aid to Ukraine in line with the goal of ending Russia's war there. "At the same time, the department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving US forces' readiness for administration defense priorities," said Elbridge Colby, the undersecretary for policy. Namita Singh2 July 2025 04:19
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
US halts weapons shipments to Ukraine over fears stockpiles are too low
The US is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said Tuesday, a setback for the country as it tries to fend off escalating attacks from Russia. Certain munitions were previously promised to Ukraine under the Biden administration to aid its defences during the more than three-year-old war. The pause reflects a new set of priorities under President Donald Trump and came after defence department officials scrutinised US stockpiles and raised concerns. 'This decision was made to put America's interests first following a review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. 'The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran.' That was a reference to Trump recently ordering US missile strikes against nuclear sites in Iran. The Pentagon review determined that stocks were too low on some weapons previously pledged, so pending shipments of some items won't be sent, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been made public. The defence department did not provide details on what specific weapons were being held back. 'America's military has never been more ready and more capable,' spokesperson Sean Parnell said, adding that the major tax cut and spending package moving through Congress 'ensures that our weapons and defence systems are modernised to protect against 21st century threats for generations to come.' The halt of some weapons from the US is a blow to Ukraine as Russia has recently launched some of its biggest aerial attacks of the war, in an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts championed by Trump. Talks between the sides have ground to a halt. The US stoppage was first reported by Politico. To date, the US has provided Ukraine more than $66bn worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. Over the course of the war, the US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the hi-tech systems, particularly countries in eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Nato summit last week and had left open the possibility of sending Kyiv more US-made Patriot air defence missile systems, acknowledging they would help the Ukrainian cause. 'They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots,' Trump said then. 'And we're going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We're supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.' Those comments reflect a change of thinking about providing weapons to Ukraine across the administration in recent months. In testimony before lawmakers in June, defence secretary Pete Hegseth said he had moved quickly to quash wasteful programmes and redirect funding to Trump's top objectives. Hegseth said a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine, which has been promoted for months by Trump, makes America look strong, even though Moscow is the aggressor in the conflict. He also said the defence budget includes hard choices and 'reflects the reality that Europe needs to step up more for the defence of its own continent. And President Trump deserves the credit for that.' The defense secretary told lawmakers last month that some US security spending for Ukraine was still in the pipeline, without providing details. But he said such assistance – which has been robust for the past two years – would be reduced.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: a senator quits, the ‘big beautiful bill' loses its name – but senate still passes Trump's megabill
After days of deliberations that went late into the night on Tuesday, the Senate passed Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts megabill, taking the deeply divisive piece of legislation one step closer to becoming law. At the 11th hour, minority Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer won a small victory in having the name of Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' stricken, but it wasn't enough to stop its passage – the act was passed just minutes later. The bill needs approval by the House of Representatives, which previously passed it by just one vote. If it becomes law, it would allow Trump to deliver on many of his election pledges, including making temporary tax cuts from his first term permanent, a major boost in spending on border protection and defense, and more oil and gas production. That will be partly funded by slashing spending on Medicaid and health programs, food stamps, student loans and clean energy tax credits. Here are the day's key stories: The passage of Donald Trump's major tax and spending bill is a victory for Senate Republicans, who faced infighting and deep divisions over measures like Medicaid cuts and even saw one lawmaker choose to retire after clashing with Trump. It remains unclear if changes made by the Senate will be accepted by the House. While Republicans control both house of Congress, factionalism in the lower chamber is particularly intense. Read the full story Trump on Tuesday toured 'Alligator Alcatraz', a controversial new migrant detention jail in the remote Florida Everglades, and celebrated the harsh conditions that people sent there would experience. The president was chaperoned by Florida's hard-right governor, Ron DeSantis, who hailed the tented camp on mosquito-infested land 50 miles west of Miami as an example for other states that supported Trump's mass deportation agenda. Read the full story Trump and administration officials have threatened CNN over what they said was its promotion of a new app that allows users to track and try to avoid Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. Read the full story Donald Trump claimed that Israel was ready to agree to a peace deal with Hamas as he seeks to broker a ceasefire to the war in Gaza that has claimed almost 60,000 lives. In a post on Truth Social, the US president wrote: 'Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' Read the full story The Trump administration raised the possibility of stripping Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral candidate for New York City, of his US citizenship as part of a crackdown against foreign-born citizens convicted of certain offences. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, appeared to pave the way for an investigation into Mamdani's status after Andy Ogles, a rightwing Republican representative for Tennessee, called for his citizenship to be revoked on the grounds that he may have concealed his support for 'terrorism' during the naturalization process. Read the full story Legally mandated US national climate assessments seem to have disappeared from the federal websites built to display them, making it harder for state and local governments and the public to learn what to expect in their back yards from a warming world. Scientists said the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives. Websites for the national assessments and the US Global Change Research Program were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere. The White House, which was responsible for the assessments, said the information will be housed within Nasa to comply with the law, but gave no further details. Read the full story The US is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said Tuesday, a setback for the country as it tries to fend off escalating attacks from Russia. The chair of the Federal Reserve blamed Trump's tariffs for preventing the immediate interest rate cuts the president has demanded. Months after Trump expressed negative opinions about a portrait of him in the Colorado state capitol, a White House-approved replacement now hangs in its place. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's bid to end temporary deportation protections and work permits for approximately 521,000 Haitians before the program's scheduled expiration date. Donald Trump and Elon Musk's reignited feud continued on Tuesday with the former political allies trading sharp public threats of retribution. Catching up? Here's what happened on 30 June 2025.
