According to US intelligence officials, Iran is attempting to influence Donald Trump’s presidential campaign through secret online efforts due to fears that his presidency would “worsen Iranian relations with the US,” The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
In the 2020 US presidential election, US intelligence agencies reported that Iran, along with Russia, attempted to influence the election through disinformation campaigns aimed at spreading false news to deceive voters. Iran’s actions were believed to focus on spreading divisive content to create chaos and mistrust.
Iran denies accusations
An Iranian spokesperson argued these are false claims, stating, “Iran does not engage in any activities intended to influence the US elections.” He dismissed these accusations as a tactic to “boost election narratives.” He further denied the Intelligence statement that Iran has been influencing the election by engaging directly with Americans, led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader. The US Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, said Iran’s actions around the Gaza protests included posing as activists online and financially supporting the protests.
