Donald Trump’s campaign has claimed that Iranian operatives were the intended culprits behind a breach that compromised internal communications, raising concerns about foreign interference in the 2024 election.

On Saturday, Politico reported receiving campaign documents via email, including materials about Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate. A campaign spokeswoman told the BBC that hostile foreign actors were targeting these documents to disrupt the election process.

While Politico has confirmed the authenticity of the files, neither the BBC nor independent third parties have corroborated this. The Trump campaign has not provided concrete evidence directly implicating the Iranian government or hackers in the breach.

Microsoft recently released a report stating that a US presidential campaign had been hacked in June through a spear-phishing email, which deceives recipients into clicking on malicious links. According to Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), there has been a notable uptick in influence operations by Iranian entities in recent months.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung connected the Microsoft findings to the breach, suggesting it occurred around the time of Trump’s vice-presidential selection. “The Iranians are aware that President Trump will put an end to their reign of terror, just as he did during his first term,” Cheung asserted.

Politico reported that an AOL email account under the alias “Robert” began sending documents in late July, including a 271-page file on Vance, detailing publicly available information and potential vulnerabilities. The email also mentioned parts of a report on Florida Senator Marco Rubio, another possible running mate.

Campaign vetting processes often flag potential liabilities for candidates, and the report highlighted Vance’s previous criticisms of Trump as one such concern.

Microsoft’s research noted that Iranian cyber operations have targeted US elections for the past three cycles, including during the 2020 campaign, where Iranian hackers were accused of attempting to breach presidential campaigns.

Meanwhile, separate US intelligence reports have suggested an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, unrelated to a recent shooting attempt in Pennsylvania. This week, the Department of Justice charged a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran, accusing him of plotting to kill US officials, potentially including the former president.

The BBC has reached out to Iranian officials for comment but has not received a response.