Iranian national U.S. sought for $3.4 billion in hacking attacks arrested in Montenegro

CBS News ^ | June 26, 2026 / 6:41 AM EDT

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Podgorica, Montenegro — An Iranian national who is wanted by the United States for mass hacking attacks that caused $3.4 billion in damage was arrested in Montenegro, police in the Balkan country said late Thursday.

The 39-year-old man, who holds both the Iranian and Turkish citizenship, is wanted by a federal court in New York on multiple charges including conspiracy to commit computer ⁠fraud, hacking, and identity ⁠theft, a statement said.

Police said they located the man in the coastal Montenegrin resort town of Kotor, where he was arrested Thursday by request of the U.S. and the FBI, Montenegrin police added.

"Since 2013 as an associate of a legal entity from Iran, he committed massive hacking attacks on U.S. infrastructure, including 150 universities, causing damage estimated to over $3.4 billion US dollars," police said in a statement reported by French news agency AFP.

The stolen data as well as the compromised university profiles were used for the "benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian beneficiaries, including universities based in Iran," the statement added.

A court in the capital of Podgorica will handle the extradition proceedings, the statement added.

Montenegro is a U.S. ally and member of NATO. The small Adriatic Sea country of just 620,000 people is seen as the next in line to join the European Union.

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TOPICS: European Union; Foreign Affairs; Iran; War on Terror
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[Red6]

Some hackers have a noble cause and even though they cause damage, allegedly, they don't really mean to hurt anyone (they often even attempt to redact what they release). They are motivated by what they see as some injustice they want to bring attention to. They often know this will cause great peril for them down the road: Snowden, Assange, Gucifer...

But others are just mercenaries in the cyber world willing to work with our enemy, the EU’s enemy (Montenegro is an EU hopeful for 2028), and NATO enemy (Turkey is a NATO member), for pure self interest. This guy, living in Montenegro and a Turk, was working for the enemy.

There is no true cause other than getting rich. I hope our justice system shows this guy no mercy.

[Red6]

Please delete post #2.

The ideas are not well thought out.

This is really more a case which shows the problems of dual citizenship and split loyalties.

[blackdog]

Remove his balls with a pork greased, dull butter knife.

[PeterPrinciple]

The stolen data as well as the compromised university profiles were used for the “benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian beneficiaries, including universities based in Iran,” the statement added.

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how would profiles be used?