The United States Department of Justice announced on Thursday that it has taken down several websites used by Iran for “psychological operations,” aimed at targeting critics of the regime and spreading terrorist propaganda.
According to the Department of Justice, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security used these websites to publish data stolen during cyberattacks, including those carried out against Albania some time ago, and to incite the killing of journalists, dissidents, and Israeli individuals, as reported by CNN.
One of the portals was linked to “Homeland Justice,” the group responsible for cyberattacks against Albania, with the Department of Justice describing the content published there as Iranian propaganda.
Attorney General Pam Bondi warned that “online terrorist propaganda can incite real-world violence,” while FBI Director Kash Patel added that “the FBI will pursue any actor behind these threats and cyberattacks and will use the full force of U.S. law against them.”
The seizure of the websites comes one week after two attacks in different U.S. cities: one at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and another at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Both incidents are being investigated as acts of terrorism, according to reports.
The Department of Justice stated that the seized websites had published photos, names, and sensitive information of 190 individuals linked to the Israeli government, along with threats and warnings. The sites were also involved in other cyberattacks and calls for violence against Iranian individuals.
“The operators of these websites directed online threats at individuals who publicly criticized the Iranian government,” the Department said, adding that the goal of these campaigns was to “suppress independent reporting” and instill fear among members of the Iranian diaspora critical of the regime.
