FBI Director Kash Patel has emails leaked by Iran-linked hackers
An Iran-linked hacker group has claimed responsibility for the leaking of FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email address.
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The group, called Handala Hack Team, said Trump loyalist Patel was one of its “successfully hacked victims.”
The Justice Department has confirmed the report, saying material posted online appears to be authentic.
It is believed that Handala Hack Team is a front for Iranian government-linked cyber intelligence units.
The Iranian state-backed “Handala Hack Team” is claiming to have breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email, posting an apparent resume and several old photos of Patel. pic.twitter.com/PHwkBrw88z
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 27, 2026
The group is a self-described “pro-Palestine” collective and has previously conducted a series of cyber attacks on US officials and businesses.
The material leaked from Patel’s email appears to be a mix of personal and work-related correspondence sent between 2010 and 2019.
It is currently unknown if any classified information was leaked.
It comes as the United States’ war with Iran continues to cause chaos in the Middle East.
The US is reportedly considering a massive troop deployment that would include ‘infantry and armoured vehicles,’ according to the Wall Street Journal.
It is being presented as another option for Trump as he seeks peace talks with Iran.
The troops would likely be sent to a US military base within striking distance of Iran’s Kharg island.
Around 5,000 US Marines and several thousand paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are already making their way to the Middle East.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said that no decision had been made yet.
She said: “All announcements regarding troop deployments will come from the Department of War.
“As we have said, President Trump always has all military options at his disposal.”
Trump has extended his pause on striking Iranian energy plants by ten days to April 6 and has again claimed peace talks are going "very well."
The President claimed that the extension request came from Tehran, and again said peace talks between the nations were on track.
He initially postponed the US military from unleashing strikes on Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure on Monday, citing "very good and productive conversations".
But the mini-ceasefire has now been extended to April 6.