Washington: Iran was behind a recent hack targeting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, US security agencies said Monday, accusing Tehran of seeking to influence the 2024 election.
The statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed the Trump campaign claim from earlier this month that it had been targeted, potentially by Iran.
“We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting presidential campaigns,” the security agencies said.
“This includes the recently reported activities to compromise former president Trump’s campaign, which the (intelligence community) attributes to Iran,” they said.
In response, Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied the country’s role in the hack and challenged Washington to release evidence for the claim.
“Such allegations are unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing,” the mission said in a statement.
“As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran harbors neither the intention nor the motive to interfere with the US presidential election.
“Should the US government genuinely believe in the validity of its claims, it should furnish us with the pertinent evidence — if any — to which we will respond accordingly.”
The United States goes to the polls on November 5, with both Trump’s and Democratic rival Kamala Harris’s campaigns saying they had been targeted by cyberattacks in recent weeks.
US-based tech companies have also said they detected such attacks.
The US intelligence community said Monday it was “confident” that Iran had used social engineering and other methods to target individuals in both campaigns, and that the attempts were “intended to influence the US election process.”
Trump’s campaign said on August 10 that it had been hacked, blaming “foreign sources” for distributing internal communications and a dossier on running mate J.D. Vance.
“These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our democratic process,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
The Republican former president’s campaign implied Iran was behind the move as news outlet Politico reported it had received emails with the campaign material from a source who refused to identify themselves.
Cheung cited a report from Microsoft this week that said Iranian hackers “sent a spear phishing email in June to a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign.”
The materials received by Politico included research on vetting Vance, Trump’s vice presidential pick.
In 2016, a hack of Democratic National Committee emails — blamed on Russians — exposed internal party communications, including about candidate Hillary Clinton.
Trump, who would go on to win the election, was criticized for encouraging the hack.
Harris’s campaign said on August 13 that it too had been targeted by foreign hackers, but did not give an indication of which country was believed to be behind the attempt.
“In July, the campaign legal and security teams were notified by the FBI that we were targeted by a foreign actor influence operation,” a Harris campaign official told AFP.
Google said this month that hackers backed by Iran were targeting the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns.
A hacker group known as APT42 linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps went after high-profile individuals and organizations in Israel and the United States, including government officials and political campaigns, according to a threat report released by Google.
Google’s threat analysis group continues to see unsuccessful attempts from APT42 to compromise personal accounts of individuals affiliated with Biden, Harris and Trump, the report said.
US says Iran responsible for Trump campaign hack
https://arab.news/w42au
US says Iran responsible for Trump campaign hack
- Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied the country’s role in the hack and challenged Washington to release evidence for the claim
Putin ready to meet Trump to talk Ukraine deal
- Asked if he would do anything differently if he could go back to February 2022, when he launched the Ukraine offensive, Putin said he only regretted not having done it sooner
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he was ready for talks with US President-elect Donald Trump at “any time” while regretting that he did not launch Moscow’s full-scale offensive earlier.
Trump, who will return to the White House in January, has called for negotiations to begin, stoking fears in Kyiv that he could force Ukraine to accept peace on terms favorable to Moscow.
At his annual end-of-year news conference, the 72-year-old said his troops held the upper hand across the battlefield.
He spoke as Kyiv said Russian attacks on northeastern Ukraine had killed three people and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with EU leaders in Brussels.
Putin spoke in a confident tone but was forced to admit he did not know when Russia would take back the parts of Russia’s Kursk region held by Kyiv since August.
The traditional annual question-and-answer sessions are largely a televised show while also being a rare setting in which Putin is put on the spot with some uncomfortable questions.
Putin spoke for just under four and a half hours.
Asked about Trump’s overtures regarding a possible peace deal, Putin said he would welcome a meeting with the incoming Republican.
“I don’t know when I’m going to see him. He isn’t saying anything about it. I haven’t talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time,” Putin said.
“If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we’ll have a lot to talk about,” he said, adding that Russia was ready for “negotiations and compromises.”
Russia’s troops have been advancing in eastern Ukraine for months, with Putin repeatedly touting their prowess on the battlefield.
But asked by a woman from the Kursk region when residents would be able to return to their homes there, after thousands were evacuated from frontline areas during the Ukrainian assault, Putin said he could not name a date.
“We will absolutely kick them out. Absolutely. It can’t be any other way. But the question of a specific date, I’m sorry, I cannot say right now,” he said.
Putin was also pressed on the economic headwinds Russia faced — the fallout from a huge ramp-up in military spending and deep labor shortages caused by the conflict.
He insisted that the situation was “stable, despite external threats,” citing low unemployment and industrial growth.
Asked about soaring inflation, Putin said that “inflation is a worrying signal.” Price rises for foods such as butter and meat were “unpleasant,” he conceded.
He acknowledged, too, that Western sanctions were a factor — while not of “key significance.” He hoped the central bank, expected to raise interest rates again Friday to cool inflation, would take a “balanced” decision, he added.
Putin appeared to repeat his threat to strike Kyiv with Russia’s new hypersonic ballistic missile, dubbed Oreshnik.
Asked by a military journalist if the weapon had any flaws, Putin suggested a “hi-tech duel” between the West and Russia to test his claims that it is impervious to air defenses.
“Let them set some target to be hit, let’s say in Kyiv,” he said.
“They will concentrate there all their air defenses. And we will launch an Oreshnik strike there and see what happens.”
Zelensky hit back by saying: “People are dying and he thinks it’s ‘interesting’.. Dumbass.”
Putin condemned as “terrorism” the killing in Moscow of a senior Russian army general, claimed by Kyiv.
The former KGB agent also made a rare criticism of the security services.
“Our special services are missing these hits,” he said, listing other recent killings.
“We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen.”
Asked if he would do anything differently if he could go back to February 2022, when he launched the Ukraine offensive, Putin said he only regretted not having done it sooner.
“Knowing what is happening now, I would think that such a decision... should have been taken earlier,” he said.
And Russia “should have started preparing for these events, including the special military operation,” he said, using Moscow’s official term for the conflict.
In his first public comments since the fall of ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad, Putin rejected claims his toppling was a “defeat” for Russia.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia. I assure you it is not,” Putin said.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
Putin said he had not yet met Assad, who fled to Moscow as rebels closed in on Damascus, but planned to soon.
Zelensky says Trump and EU must work together to secure peace
BRUSSELS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he needed both Europe and the United States on board to secure a durable peace, as he huddled with EU leaders at their final summit before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Trump returns to the White House next month having pledged to bring a swift end to a conflict that NATO says has left more than one million dead and wounded since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion.
Talk has increasingly turned to ways Europe could help guarantee any ceasefire, with embryonic discussions over a possible deployment of peacekeepers one day.
But there are few specifics and Zelensky insisted that any steps to secure peace would have to involve the might of the United States.
“I believe that the European guarantees won’t be sufficient for Ukraine,” he said after talks with his EU counterparts.
Zelensky said he was supportive of an initiative mooted by French President Emmanuel Macron to potentially deploy Western troops — but it needed to be fleshed out.
“If we are talking about a contingent, we need to be specific — how many, what they will do if there is aggression from Russia,” he said.
“The main thing is that this is not some artificial story, we need effective mechanisms.”
Kyiv and its European allies fear that Trump’s return means the volatile Republican could cut support for Ukraine’s military and force Zelensky to make painful concessions to Moscow.
Ukraine’s EU backers — fearful of being left on the sidelines — insist they want to step up support to put Kyiv in a position of strength for any potential negotiations.
As the change of guard approaches in the US, Zelensky has appeared to soften his stance on any potential peace push.
He has said that if Ukraine is given firm security guarantees by NATO and enough weaponry it could agree to a ceasefire along current lines and look to regain the rest of its territory through diplomatic means.
But NATO members have rebuffed Kyiv’s calls for an invitation to join their alliance right away, sparking speculation that sending peacekeepers could be an alternative.
In the near term, Kyiv is desperate for more air defenses and weapons as its flagging forces lose ground across the frontline to Russia.
“We have to do everything that is in our hands to support Ukraine,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
Zelensky said it would be “very difficult” for Europe alone to support Ukraine without US involvement and pleaded for both sides to work together.
“I think only together the United States and Europe can really stop Putin and save Ukraine,” he said.
European officials warned against trying to impose a deal on Ukraine — and said only Kyiv can decide when it’s time to negotiate.
“The European Union stands united in its support to Ukraine to win a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, not any peace, not capitulation,” said European Council chief Antonio Costa.
“Now is not the time to speculate about different scenarios. Now is the time to strengthen Ukraine for all scenarios.”
While the conflict in Ukraine was top of the agenda for EU leaders, the collapse of Assad’s brutal rule in Syria also presented major opportunities — and uncertainty.
European nations — along with other international players — are jostling for influence in the war-torn country after the end of the Assad family’s five-decade domination.
But they are wary of the new authorities who are spearheaded by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which has its roots in Al-Qaeda and is listed as a “terrorist” organization by some Western governments.
Leaders discussed how quickly they are willing to embrace the nascent authorities in Damascus.
HTS is under EU sanctions, though some including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said they were willing to reconsider these measures.
The bloc has laid out a raft of conditions the new authorities must respect.
Those include protecting minorities, overseeing an inclusive transition and shunning extremism.
“Europe will do its part to support Syria at this critical juncture, because we care about Syria’s future,” said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“These efforts will have to be matched by real deeds by the new leadership in Damascus, so it’s a step for step approach.”
India upper house deputy chair rejects opposition move to impeach vice president
- Move expected to worsen fraught relations between opposition, PM Modi’s government
- VP, India’s second highest constitutional office, acts as chair of upper house of parliament
NEW DELHI: A move by Indian opposition parties to impeach Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly performing his job in a partisan manner was rejected, parliament said on Thursday.
The vice president, India’s second highest constitutional office, acts as the chair of the upper house of parliament, known as the Rajya Sabha, and opposition parties have accused Dhankhar of being partisan in his role.
Sansad Television, parliament’s TV channel, said in a post on X that the opposition’s notice has been dismissed.
Harivansh Narayan Singh, deputy chairman of parliament’s upper house, said the notice to impeach Dhankhar was “severely flawed” and aimed at demeaning the constitutional office of Vice President.
India’s vice president also acts as the country’s president if there is a temporary vacancy.
The winter session of parliament has been disrupted several times with government and opposition parties accusing each other of not allowing legislative business by creating political controversies.
Bribery allegations against billionaire Gautam Adani, religious conflict in a northern town and ethnic violence in the northeastern state of Manipur are some of the issues that have jolted the proceedings of the legislature in this session, which began on Nov. 25 and was scheduled to break on Friday.
Although the opposition was unlikely to garner enough votes to remove Dhankhar, the move was expected to worsen the fraught relations between the opposition and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, as Dhankhar was elected as a candidate of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Jairam Ramesh, spokesman of the main opposition Congress party, said last week that the opposition had “no option but to formally submit a no-confidence motion” against Dhankhar for the “extremely partisan manner” in conducting the proceedings of the house.
The BJP and main opposition Congress party did not immediately issue any statement on the matter.
UK to end Afghan refugee schemes
- Move is part of plan to clear backlog of asylum seekers in temporary accommodation
- No timeline yet in place but defense secretary says schemes cannot be ‘endless’
LONDON: The UK is to close its resettlement schemes for people fleeing Afghanistan, The Times reported.
Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK’s two programs for Afghans could not be “an endless process” as he laid out plans to move refugees out of temporary accommodation. He added that over 1,000 Afghan families have arrived in the UK in the past 12 months.
Though no time frame has been announced, the government aims to limit the amount of time Afghans can stay in hotels and other temporary housing to nine months.
The two refugee programs — the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy — were introduced in 2021 after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces.
Thousands of people were evacuated to the UK during an airlift mission known as Operation Pitting.
UK authorities have struggled to find suitable permanent housing solutions for many Afghan refugees due to the large size of typical Afghan families — more than double that of the average British family.
A total of 30,412 Afghans were eventually taken to the UK under the two schemes. Under ARAP, 2,729 Afghans were placed in temporary Ministry of Defense accommodation and a further 288 in Home Office housing, amid a broader backlog of over 100,000 asylum seekers requiring assistance in the UK — 35,651 of whom were put up in hotels.
Safe Passage International told The Times it is “concerned” by suggestions that the two resettlement schemes are set to close, adding that they have been a “lifeline to safety” for vulnerable Afghans.
The charity said “new safe routes” would need to be opened for Afghan refugees when the two schemes are shuttered.
Its CEO Wanda Wyporska said: “We’re concerned that the government is thinking about closing the safe pathways for Afghans, given there are no other working safe routes that can bring those fleeing the Taliban to safety here.
“We urgently need more detail on this so Afghans are not left in danger. We know there are many Afghans living in terror and under the threat of increasingly repressive Taliban rules, such as those oppressing women and girls.
“Afghans are already the top nationality crossing the Channel, so we fear without this safe route we will only see more people turning to smugglers to reach protection here.”
Modi to visit Kuwait for the first trip by Indian PM in four decades
- Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait
- Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, experts say
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip of an Indian premier to the Gulf state in more than four decades.
With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait, they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.
Modi will be visiting Kuwait for two days at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
“This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
“During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. Prime Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”
India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.
Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News.
“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.”
Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture.
Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation.
“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News.
“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states which includes Kuwait.”
