Iran attempting to sabotage Trump's presidential campaign: US intelligence

US intelligence officials believe Iran is trying to sabotage former president Donald Trump's presidential campaign through online influence operations. At a press briefing on Monday, an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) stated that US spy agencies observed Iran "working to influence the presidential election". The official noted that while they didn't directly say Iran was targeting Trump, American spies "haven't observed a shift in Iran’s preferences" since 2020, implying Iran is still targeting him. Iran reportedly uses "vast webs of online personas and propaganda mills" and other similar campaigns to spread disinformation, an ODNI official said. The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations denied these allegations, stating Iran does not engage in activities to influence the US election. "A significant portion of such accusations are characterised by psychological operations designed to artificially pep up election campaigns," a mission spokesperson said. Earlier in July, Iran was accused of plotting to kill Trump, which the Iranian mission also denied. ODNI officials have also identified Russia as the "preeminent threat" to the 2024 election. According to a recent ODNI report, Russia aims to diminish US support for Ukraine and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions.