Hello and welcome to US Presidential Election Top 10: your daily guide to the Trump vs Harris battle royale.
Whenever Iranian attempts to spread disinformation in America make the news, one is reminded of the CGI extravaganza called 300. A major blockbuster in WENA (Western Europe and Northern America), the film remains in the cultural zeitgeist due to Leonidas’ chiselled abs and the “This is Sparta” meme. Despite its widespread popularity, one country that was understandably upset was Iran, which detested the horrendous portrayal of ancient Persians and their legendary king Xerxes.
In 2007, Michael White of The Guardian wrote: “In a way that is now rare, this film uses its comic book dimension to portray the beastly Spartans, their disturbingly militarised society, as democratic. As for the Persians, Xerxes himself, black, half-naked, adorned with gold and jewels, looks and talks like the kind of drug dealer you wouldn’t want to upset. No wonder the government and people of Iran took offence. They were justified in doing so.”
Many Iranians even believed that the movie was secretly funded by the US government to prepare Americans for potential conflict with Iran. Perhaps that’s why Iran continues to meddle in American affairs with the same zeal that America has always meddled in global affairs.
In September 2024, US intelligence agencies revealed that Iranian hackers had attempted to interfere in the upcoming presidential election by stealing non-public material from Donald Trump ’s campaign and sending it to individuals linked to President Joe Biden’s re-election team. According to the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, this cyberattack was part of Iran’s broader effort to sow discord and undermine confidence in the US electoral process.
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “WOW, JUST OUT! The FBI caught Iran spying on my campaign and handing over all the information to the Kamala Harris campaign. This means she and her campaign were illegally spying on me. This will be known as the IRAN, IRAN, IRAN CASE! Will Kamala resign in disgrace from politics? Will the Communist left pick a new candidate to replace her?”
A spokesperson for the Harris campaign stated: "We’re not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign. A few individuals were targeted on their personal emails with what appeared to be spam or phishing attempts."
The stolen materials, whose exact nature remains undisclosed, were sent to various US media outlets and political entities in an attempt to influence the election. The Biden campaign, however, did not engage with the hackers or respond to the stolen material. The cyberattack highlights Iran’s ongoing efforts to interfere in US elections, a strategy they’ve employed since at least 2020.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of foreign cyber interference in US elections. A report from Microsoft revealed that Iranian hackers, specifically linked to a group known as Storm-2035 , had engaged in sophisticated cyber operations, including spear-phishing attacks, targeting senior officials in the Trump campaign. These cyber efforts aim to influence both sides of the US political spectrum by spreading disinformation on controversial topics such as LGBTQ rights, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and other divisive issues.
One notable aspect of Iran’s approach is the use of covert news sites, such as “Nio Thinker” and “Savannah Time,” which appeal to opposite ends of the US political spectrum. These sites amplify polarising messages and seek to engage voters, particularly in swing states, to sway public opinion and stir controversy ahead of the election.
Nio Thinker, in particular, ran sarcastic articles mocking Donald Trump, referring to him as an "opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA China shop" and a "raving mad litigiosaur."
These disinformation campaigns are often powered by AI-enabled services, allowing Iranian actors to plagiarise content from legitimate US news outlets, rephrasing and amplifying these messages to suit their political objectives. Microsoft’s report highlights how these tactics are designed to obscure the original sources of the content and drive traffic to Iranian-controlled websites.
Further complicating the situation, Trump’s campaign confirmed that internal communications had been hacked, aligning with Microsoft’s findings on Iranian cyber activities.
This latest incident adds to the long history of tension between the US and Iran, who seem to view Trump’s return to the presidency with more distaste. During his presidency, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018, reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran, and initiated a "maximum pressure" campaign to force Tehran to renegotiate. His administration also escalated military tensions by authorising the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and designating the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Despite expressing a willingness for a new deal, no diplomatic breakthrough was achieved, and US-Iran relations remained highly strained.
While Iran’s meddling in the US election is not surprising – even China and Russia have done so in the past – in this new age of disinformation, it seems what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Here are 10 other stories to keep track of:
US Fed Cut: Harris welcomed the interest rate cut, while Trump said it showed the economy was doing “very badly”. Deep Dive: Delve deep into Iran’s attempts to meddle in the US elections.
Cyber War: Microsoft has warned about a “most perilous moment ahead” of the US Presidential election.
Poll Dance: Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.
Trump Elegy: Trump admitted he hasn’t read his wife’s memoirs.
The Big Donald: Trump bought burgers for his fans using Bitcoin in New York.
Swift Effect: The latest polls show Harris is still edging Trump.
Surprise: Trump surprised an 8-year-old with a rare brain disorder with a gift
Threats: Rep Anna Paulina Luna, famous as the “Bikini Congresswoman” received “serious” death threats.
Green-eyed Melania: The former First Lady is reportedly angry with a new Trump ally who is getting too close for comfort.
Whenever Iranian attempts to spread disinformation in America make the news, one is reminded of the CGI extravaganza called 300. A major blockbuster in WENA (Western Europe and Northern America), the film remains in the cultural zeitgeist due to Leonidas’ chiselled abs and the “This is Sparta” meme. Despite its widespread popularity, one country that was understandably upset was Iran, which detested the horrendous portrayal of ancient Persians and their legendary king Xerxes.
In 2007, Michael White of The Guardian wrote: “In a way that is now rare, this film uses its comic book dimension to portray the beastly Spartans, their disturbingly militarised society, as democratic. As for the Persians, Xerxes himself, black, half-naked, adorned with gold and jewels, looks and talks like the kind of drug dealer you wouldn’t want to upset. No wonder the government and people of Iran took offence. They were justified in doing so.”
Many Iranians even believed that the movie was secretly funded by the US government to prepare Americans for potential conflict with Iran. Perhaps that’s why Iran continues to meddle in American affairs with the same zeal that America has always meddled in global affairs.
In September 2024, US intelligence agencies revealed that Iranian hackers had attempted to interfere in the upcoming presidential election by stealing non-public material from Donald Trump ’s campaign and sending it to individuals linked to President Joe Biden’s re-election team. According to the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, this cyberattack was part of Iran’s broader effort to sow discord and undermine confidence in the US electoral process.
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “WOW, JUST OUT! The FBI caught Iran spying on my campaign and handing over all the information to the Kamala Harris campaign. This means she and her campaign were illegally spying on me. This will be known as the IRAN, IRAN, IRAN CASE! Will Kamala resign in disgrace from politics? Will the Communist left pick a new candidate to replace her?”
A spokesperson for the Harris campaign stated: "We’re not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign. A few individuals were targeted on their personal emails with what appeared to be spam or phishing attempts."
The stolen materials, whose exact nature remains undisclosed, were sent to various US media outlets and political entities in an attempt to influence the election. The Biden campaign, however, did not engage with the hackers or respond to the stolen material. The cyberattack highlights Iran’s ongoing efforts to interfere in US elections, a strategy they’ve employed since at least 2020.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of foreign cyber interference in US elections. A report from Microsoft revealed that Iranian hackers, specifically linked to a group known as Storm-2035 , had engaged in sophisticated cyber operations, including spear-phishing attacks, targeting senior officials in the Trump campaign. These cyber efforts aim to influence both sides of the US political spectrum by spreading disinformation on controversial topics such as LGBTQ rights, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and other divisive issues.
One notable aspect of Iran’s approach is the use of covert news sites, such as “Nio Thinker” and “Savannah Time,” which appeal to opposite ends of the US political spectrum. These sites amplify polarising messages and seek to engage voters, particularly in swing states, to sway public opinion and stir controversy ahead of the election.
Nio Thinker, in particular, ran sarcastic articles mocking Donald Trump, referring to him as an "opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA China shop" and a "raving mad litigiosaur."
These disinformation campaigns are often powered by AI-enabled services, allowing Iranian actors to plagiarise content from legitimate US news outlets, rephrasing and amplifying these messages to suit their political objectives. Microsoft’s report highlights how these tactics are designed to obscure the original sources of the content and drive traffic to Iranian-controlled websites.
Further complicating the situation, Trump’s campaign confirmed that internal communications had been hacked, aligning with Microsoft’s findings on Iranian cyber activities.
This latest incident adds to the long history of tension between the US and Iran, who seem to view Trump’s return to the presidency with more distaste. During his presidency, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018, reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran, and initiated a "maximum pressure" campaign to force Tehran to renegotiate. His administration also escalated military tensions by authorising the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and designating the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Despite expressing a willingness for a new deal, no diplomatic breakthrough was achieved, and US-Iran relations remained highly strained.
While Iran’s meddling in the US election is not surprising – even China and Russia have done so in the past – in this new age of disinformation, it seems what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Here are 10 other stories to keep track of:
