Iran Hacks Email Accounts of Lebanon’s Aoun, Hariri

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri hold talks at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. (NNA)
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri hold talks at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. (NNA)
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Iran Hacks Email Accounts of Lebanon’s Aoun, Hariri

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri hold talks at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. (NNA)
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri hold talks at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. (NNA)

Iranian hackers were capable to attack the private bank accounts of leading Lebanese officials, including President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

According to a report published by the French newspaper Le Figaro on Monday, the hacking shows that Iran has embarked on a large-scale cyber piracy operation.

The attacks also targeted the Lebanese ministries of justice and foreign affairs, in addition to the army, the Central bank and other Lebanese banks.

Quoting intelligence sources, the newspaper said that the electronic attack was conducted by Iranians and was funded by the government.

The sources said that they believe the hacking is similar to what Russian parties had done in the United States in 2016 during the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.

The newspaper wrote that Tehran was following Russia’s model by resorting to electronic operations to “expand its control over the Middle East region.”

Le Figaro wrote an in-depth report on the issue Monday, entitled “Lebanon, Syria, Iraq: How Iran Expands its Control?”

The report includes a number of investigative articles, the first under the title of “Shi’ite Crescent” and the second entitled, “The Four Faces of ‘Hezbollah’.”

It also includes an interview with Lebanese-French researcher called Aurelie Daher about the favors “Hezbollah” offered to the Syrian regime.

However, what is interesting in Le Figaro file is an investigation focused on the electronic operations conducted by Iran against high-ranking Lebanese officials.

It said that the Iranian hackers of the operation "Oilrig" have been hacking Lebanese servers for more than six months.

According to the daily,, the hackers had access to Aoun and Hariri’s email accounts and had already gathered several documents and passwords to be used prior to the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2018 in Lebanon.

Le Figaro said the hackers had “the intention to try to influence the polls in favor of the Shi’ites and ‘Hezbollah’ in Lebanon.”



Trump Unveils Website for $5 Million US Residency Visa

US President Donald Trump holds the $5 million dollar Gold Card prototype while speaking to reporters. MANDEL NGAN / AFP/File
US President Donald Trump holds the $5 million dollar Gold Card prototype while speaking to reporters. MANDEL NGAN / AFP/File
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Trump Unveils Website for $5 Million US Residency Visa

US President Donald Trump holds the $5 million dollar Gold Card prototype while speaking to reporters. MANDEL NGAN / AFP/File
US President Donald Trump holds the $5 million dollar Gold Card prototype while speaking to reporters. MANDEL NGAN / AFP/File

President Donald Trump touted a new website for his planned $5 million US residency permit on Wednesday, saying the waiting list for the golden visa has opened on TrumpCard.gov.

"Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World," Trump wrote in a social media post, AFP reported.

Trump unveiled the first such visa aboard Air Force One in April, holding a golden prototype that bore his face and promising the special permit would probably be available "in less than two weeks."

The visas are not available yet, but the website announced Wednesday allows interested parties to submit their name, desired visa and email address under a header that says "The Trump Card is Coming."

Trump previously said the new visa, a high-price version of the traditional green card, would bring in job creators and could be used to reduce the US national deficit.

The announcement comes as deportation raids are being ramped up across the country, prompting protests, and as Trump's administration faces ongoing lawsuits and accusations of rights violations over its anti-immigration blitz.

Trump has said the new card would be a route to highly prized US citizenship. He said in February that his administration hoped to sell "maybe a million" of the cards and did not rule out that Russian oligarchs may be eligible.