Iranian-affiliated hackers have reportedly broken into FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal Gmail account, leaking personal photos and emails online.

The attack comes as tensions escalate in the region following the ongoing US-Israel operations against Iran.

The hacker group Handala Hack Team, which presents itself as a pro-Palestinian vigilante operation, claimed responsibility for the breach. On its website, the group announced that Patel “will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims.”

The hackers published a series of photographs showing Patel:

Sniffing and smoking cigars
Riding in an antique convertible
Posing in a mirror with a large bottle of rum

Additionally, a sample of over 300 emails from Patel’s account, dating between 2010 and 2019, was published. These appeared to include both personal and work-related correspondence.

FBI response

The FBI confirmed that Patel’s emails had been targeted. Bureau spokesman Ben Williamson stated:

“We have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity. The data involved is historical in nature and involves no government information.”

Google, which owns Gmail, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Reward up to $10mln

The U.S. State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on Iranian-linked cyber actors, including Parsian Afzar Rayan Borna and the Handala hacking group. The move came after the FBI said Iran-linked hackers breached Kash Patel’s personal email and leaked materials online.

Context

Handala Hack Team is considered by Western researchers to be one of several personas used by Iranian government cyberintelligence units. The group recently claimed the hack of Michigan-based medical devices provider Stryker and published sensitive data from other companies.

Experts suggest these operations are part of a broader Iranian strategy to embarrass U.S. officials and project vulnerability in response to US-Israeli military actions.

“They are firing whatever they have,” said Gil Messing, chief of staff at Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point.

The leak of Patel’s emails follows other attacks on defense and government personnel, including Lockheed Martin employees in the Middle East.

Targeting senior officials’ personal emails is not unprecedented. Past breaches include:

Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta in 2016
Former CIA director John Brennan in 2015

Such attacks are often low-level but serve to publicly humiliate targets and send strategic signals.