The U.S. Justice Department has announced that three individuals are facing charges for allegedly hacking into the Trump campaign at the behest of the Iranian government to damage former President Donald Trump’s chances in the upcoming election.

Although Trump is not directly named in the 37-page indictment released on Friday, the document outlines actions that aim to steal sensitive information from his campaign and leak it to journalists and to Joe Biden’s campaign, prior to Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.

The indictment indicates that the conspirators used their access to personal accounts of individuals linked to a presidential campaign around May, stealing private campaign documents and emails, and attempted to weaponize this stolen content by leaking it in late June to “another identified U.S. presidential campaign.”

Biden announced his exit from the presidential race in July.

The FBI reported earlier this month that Iranian hackers had sent unsolicited information stolen from the Trump campaign to individuals associated with Biden’s campaign. The Bureau noted there was no evidence suggesting that the recipients responded to this communication.

The indicted individuals—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi—are facing charges of conspiracy related to accessing information from a protected computer, supporting terrorism, as well as wire fraud and identity theft. They are employed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the indictment.

The three men, last known to reside in Tehran as per the indictment, have not been captured by U.S. authorities.

During a press conference on Friday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that pursuing these defendants will remain a top priority for U.S. officials.

“The Justice Department is committed to tracking these individuals for the entirety of their lives,” Garland stated.

What Motivates Iran to Target Trump’s Campaign?

The indictment outlines various aggressive actions taken by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against the United States. These actions include attempts to kill or abduct U.S. citizens and allies, aiming to suppress dissent against the Iranian regime or retaliate for the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020.

This assassination appears to be a significant motivator for the Iranian government. The charges not only involve targeting the Trump campaign but also hacking activities dating back to January 2020, aimed at infiltrating the email accounts of numerous notable current and former public officials and a national security journalist at a prominent newspaper.

One unidentified victim was a senior State Department official during the time of Soleimani’s assassination, making them a target of interest for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the indictment.

The three accused hackers face terrorism-related charges because the State Department designated their employer, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. Conspiring to provide material support to such organizations constitutes a criminal offense.

The wire fraud allegations stem from the men’s supposed use of electronic communications to deceitfully obtain information from eight distinct victims between 2022 and 2024. They are also accused of stealing identities as part of their scheme.