Washington targets IRGC-linked “Shahid Shushtari” network accused of meddling in U.S. elections and operating under front companies

The U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on an Iranian cyber unit known as “Shahid Shushtari”, which is accused of attempting to interfere in the 2024 U.S. election. The reward was issued under the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program and publicly shared on Monday, August 4, through the program’s official X-Net (formerly Twitter) account.

“Shahid Shushtari has many names but only a few addresses. If you know of other addresses, please contact us,” the post read, urging the public to come forward with information.

The group is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Cyber Electronics Command, also referred to by its codename JANGAL, and is known for operating under various aliases and front companies. Among these are “Ilia Net Gostar” and “Iman Net Pasargad”, entities believed to be used for cyber operations and espionage activities.

According to U.S. officials, Shahid Shushtari has been gathering sensitive data on U.S. states since early 2024 and has directly contacted Senate candidates in at least one key battleground state. These actions, the State Department says, were part of an effort to disrupt the American electoral process.

The group is reportedly led by Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar, also known by the alias Mojtaba Tehrani, who holds a key position within the IRGC’s cyber command structure. Shirinkar is said to maintain close ties with Amir Lashgarian (Hamid Reza), commander of the IRGC’s Cyber Corps, and Ali Moghaddisi Hajiabad, head of the cyber division of Unit 300—a critical cyber-warfare unit under Iran’s military intelligence.

Ongoing Concerns Over Iranian Interference

Concerns over the Iranian regime’s attempts to interfere in U.S. elections are not new. In 2024, U.S. intelligence agencies reported that Iranian cyber operatives sent emails to individuals connected to the campaign of then-President Joe Biden. These messages contained excerpts stolen from the Trump campaign, suggesting a sophisticated strategy to sow confusion and discord among voters.

The latest reward offer against the Shahid Shushtari network adds to a broader U.S. effort to expose and deter hostile Iranian cyber activities.

Connection to the Levinson Case

The announcement follows another significant move by U.S. authorities targeting Iran’s intelligence network. In June, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released wanted posters for three senior Iranian intelligence officers believed to be involved in the 2007 abduction of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent.

The posters featured Reza Amiri-Moghaddam, Taghi Daneshvar, and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia. According to the FBI, Amiri-Moghaddam—currently Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan—previously led the Intelligence Ministry’s operations unit in Tehran, a unit allegedly responsible for orchestrating Levinson’s kidnapping from Kish Island.

In addition to the $5 million reward already offered by the FBI for information leading to Levinson’s discovery or return, the Rewards for Justice program has also announced a separate $20 million reward related to this case.

The growing number of public reward announcements signals a shift in Washington’s strategy to publicly name and shame Iranian intelligence and cyber operations personnel, while seeking to dismantle the networks threatening both U.S. national security and democratic institutions.

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