The FBI's director has been hacked by Iranian actors who have published his private photos and correspondence online.
Hackers have accessed personal and work correspondence from Kash Patel, who has been FBI director since February 2025.
The Handala Hack Team said Mr Patel "will now found his name among the list of successfully hacked victims".
On a post on the Iranian-backed hackers website, it said the "so called 'impenetrable' systems of the FBI were brought to their knees within hours by our team".
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
It added: "All personal and confidential information of Kash Patel, including emails, conversations, documents, and even classified files, is now available for public download."
The leaked material, seen by GB News, appears to be personal images belonging to Mr Patel, including images of him smoking a cigar and his CV.
It is yet to be understood whether any classified material has been leaked.
A Justice Department official has confirmed that Mr Patel's email had been subject to a breach and the material published online appears authentic.
Kash Patel has been director of the FBI since February 2025
|GETTY
It appears the material released by the hackers dates between 2010 and 2019.
The hacking group dedicated the attack to the "martyrs of the Dena destroyer".
The Dena destroyer was an Iranian warship which was sunk by a US submarine on March 4.
With 130 sailors onboard, the warship was in international waters just off the Sri Lankan coast when it was attacked by US naval power.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The Handala Hack Team claimed their responsibility to the leak on their website
|REUTERS
The attacked killed at least 87 of its crew members.
The Handala Hack Team is an online persona linked to Iran's Military of Intelligence and Security and has claimed responsibility for various disruptive hacking missions since the conflict in the Middle East started at the beginning of March.
It has previously claimed responsibility for compromising an Israeli energy exploration company and targeting civilian healthcare.
They also attacked Jordan's fuel systems.
There are also reports that the hacking group targeted global arms company, Lockheed Martin, threatening the company that they have the details of 28 employees, who are senior American engineers based in Israel.
This cyber attack comes as President Donald Trump vowed to hold off on targeting Iranian energy sites for a further 10 days as the two countries are involved in diplomatic talks.
Israel, on the other hand, has threatened to ramp up its strikes against the Islamic Republic in response to fresh waves of Iranian missiles.
The conflict in the Middle East's impact continues to be felt worldwide, with the energy prices increasing due to the Iranian blockade on the strategic shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz.