Pro-Iran group claims credit for hack of FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email account

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A pro-Iran hacking group claimed on Friday that it hacked a personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and posted what appear to be years-old photographs of him online, along with a work resume and other personal documents.

Many of the records appeared to be more than a decade old.

“Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” a message posted by the Handala group said.

The message was accompanied by more than a half dozen photos of Patel, including ones of him standing beside an antique sports car and another with a cigar in his mouth.

The group also said that it was making available for download emails and other documents from Patel’s account. Many of the records appeared to relate to his personal travels and business from more than 10 years ago.

FBI Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Committee on Intelligence hearing to examine worldwide threats in Washington, 18 March, 2026

“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity,” the FBI said in a statement.

“The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.”

It was not clear when the hack claimed by Handala might have occurred. News reports from December 2024, before Patel was confirmed as director, said that Patel had been informed by the agency that he had been targeted as part of an Iranian hack.

Handala is a pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian hacking group that earlier this month claimed credit for disrupting systems at Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company.

Handala said the attack was in retaliation for suspected US strikes that killed children at a school in Iran.

The director at one of FireEye’s subsidiaries speaks to journalists about the techniques of Iranian hacking in Dubai, 20 September, 2017

They’re a prominent example of the proxy groups that carry out cyberattacks on behalf of Iran.

The Justice Department singled out Handala in an announcement last week in which it said it had seized four web domains tied to Iranian hacking schemes and the threatening of dissidents.

The Trump administration is offering a reward of up to $10 million (€8.6 million) for information leading to the identification of members of the Handala group.