Overview
- Handala, a pro‑Iran hacking group, published a cache of Patel’s emails, photos and documents on Friday, claiming it breached his private account.
- Justice Department contacts told Reuters and AP the files are authentic, while the FBI said they are historical and contain no government data.
- The posted trove includes more than 300 emails from 2010 to 2019, along with private photos, travel bookings, and a résumé from earlier in Patel’s career.
- The U.S. has moved to disrupt the network, with the Justice Department seizing several Handala‑linked websites on March 19 and the State Department offering up to $10 million for tips on the operators.
- Security researchers and U.S. officials link Handala to Iran’s intelligence ministry and to recent breaches at U.S. firms such as Stryker and Verifone, signaling a widening cyber campaign between Iran and the United States.