Hackers tied to Iran breach FBI director’s personal email and post private images

Iranian-linked hackers have claimed responsibility for breaching FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email account and publishing private images and documents online, according to a Justice Department official who confirmed the intrusion and said the materials appear authentic.

The hacking group, known as Handala Hack Team, announced the breach on its website Friday, boasting that Patel had been added to its list of “successfully hacked” targets. The group has previously presented itself as a pro-Palestinian vigilante operation, though Western cybersecurity researchers assess it as a front for Iranian government-linked cyber units.

FBI Director Kash Patel sits for a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)

A DOJ official told Reuters that Patel’s personal inbox had been compromised and that at least some of the material released publicly appeared legitimate. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

The cache of leaked material reportedly includes photographs and a