According to a report in The Independent, the website of Iran’s foreign ministry was hacked on Sunday and a ton of data was leaked before the ministry’s website was defaced.
The hackers not only leaked a trove of data, including identity documents, ministry correspondence, phone numbers and names of foreign ministry employees, but also defaced the website’s front page with crossed-out images of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. done. As President, Ibrahim Raisi.
Their photographs were placed below images of two Iranian opposition figures, Massoud and Maryam Rajavi – the founders of the People’s Mujahideen of Iran (MEK). Both are considered pro-Western dissidents whose aim is to overthrow the Iranian government in support of a secular republic.
The official Iranian Foreign Ministry website remained down throughout the day, finally being taken up and covered again late on Sunday with a message announcing “scheduled maintenance and upgrades”.
The group that claimed responsibility for the cyber attack, calling itself “Ghayam Sarnegouni”, which translates as “rebellion to overthrow”, obtained several documents in its hack of the foreign ministry – some already posted online. including passports of top officials.
The group also posted slogans “Death to Khamenei” and “Hail to Razavi”, the current leader of the opposition group, on the website’s home page. “A great revolution is underway in Iran. The rebellion will continue until the palace of oppression collapses. Iran’s democratic revolution will be victorious,” read the second message on the front page.
The group has seized “thousands” of documents, people familiar with the matter said. Among those seized was a report written by more politically charged Foreign Ministry officials, detailing an attempt to form a committee with the sole purpose of discrediting the MEK. and its related organizations abroad, including the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
The leaked documents also revealed that the Islamic Republic had continued efforts and correspondence with European officials to finalize a prisoner exchange agreement with Belgium, under which jailed Iranian diplomat Assadullah Asadi was released. would be released in exchange for the detained Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecastille.
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