A cyber group known as Handala, believed to have links to Iran, has claimed responsibility for releasing personal information of US Marines deployed in the Persian Gulf. According to The Wall Street Journal, the group published the names and details of 2,379 personnel on its Telegram channel, presenting the leak as evidence of its surveillance capabilities.

The disclosure included identifying information and was accompanied by threats sent via WhatsApp to US personnel stationed in the region.

Iraq‑based Shafaq News reported that these messages warned Marines they were under watch and could be targeted. Handala further asserted that it had access to deeper layers of data, including family details, home addresses, daily routines, and troop movements, and signalled that more disclosures could follow.

The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the breach, which has raised serious concerns within the US defence establishment. Officials are working to determine the extent of the compromise and assess its implications for operational security. Investigators are expected to focus on how the data was obtained and whether additional systems may have been infiltrated.

This incident follows another high‑profile claim by the same group. Handala previously announced it had hacked the personal email of FBI Director Kash Patel, publishing photographs and his purported résumé online. On its website, the group declared that Patel would now find his name among its list of successfully hacked victims.

The timing of the alleged hack is significant, coming amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump recently stated that Iran had reached out under mounting pressure, claiming the country was in a “State of Collapse” and wanted the Hormuz Strait reopened. In another post, he criticised Iran’s inability to sign a non‑nuclear deal, warning that the country needed to “get smart soon.”

The episode underscores the growing prominence of cyber operations in geopolitical rivalries. Beyond traditional military and diplomatic arenas, digital attacks targeting personnel data, infrastructure, and communications are increasingly shaping modern conflict.

If verified, the breach would represent a serious escalation, demonstrating how state‑linked or proxy actors can expose military personnel to risk outside conventional battle zones.

Agencies