Space Force Official’s Instagram Hacked in Pro-Iran Propaganda Attack
Hackers breached the Instagram account of Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna, the top enlisted guardian in the U.S. Space Force, on Sunday, posting pro-Iran and anti-U.S. propaganda. The compromised content included videos featuring audio from "Hanoi Hannah", a Vietnam War-era propagandist, alongside images of Ali Larijani, a late Iranian security official killed in the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict.
Bentivegna confirmed the hack in a Facebook post, warning colleagues to avoid engaging with the unauthorized posts while efforts to restore access were underway. A Space Force spokesperson acknowledged the incident but did not disclose how long the content remained visible or who was responsible.
The breach is the latest in a string of cyberattacks targeting U.S. military personnel amid heightened tensions with Iran. U.S. Central Command has previously warned troops about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to track or surveil personnel. In April, suspected Iranian hackers sent threatening text messages to Marine Corps personnel, civilian employees, and their families, claiming to have their identities and movements under surveillance.
The incident underscores the propaganda battles accompanying the conflict, with Iranian hackers previously breaching the personal email of an FBI official in March and using AI-generated content to mock U.S. leaders. Meanwhile, the U.S. has released military strike videos designed to counter such narratives. The Space Force has played a key role in non-kinetic operations against Iran, including efforts to disrupt its defenses during recent U.S. airstrikes.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/01/politics/hackers-space-force-official-instagram-iranian-propaganda
U.S. Marine Corps TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/marines
U.S. Central Command TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/u-s-central-command-uscentcom
U.S. Space Force TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/usspaceforce
"id": "maru-suss1780346496",
"linkid": "marines, u-s-central-command-uscentcom, usspaceforce",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "5/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "8",
"explanation": "Attack that could bring to a war"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Defense',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'U.S. Space Force',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Government/Military'},
{'industry': 'Military',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna',
'type': 'Individual'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unknown',
'date_detected': 'Sunday',
'description': 'Hackers breached the Instagram account of Chief Master Sgt. '
'John Bentivegna, the top enlisted guardian in the U.S. Space '
'Force, posting pro-Iran and anti-U.S. propaganda. The '
'compromised content included videos featuring audio from '
"'Hanoi Hannah' and images of Ali Larijani, a late Iranian "
'security official.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High',
'operational_impact': 'Reputation damage, propaganda dissemination',
'systems_affected': 'Instagram account'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'motivation': 'Propaganda, Anti-U.S. sentiment',
'references': [{'source': 'Cyber Incident Description'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Facebook post warning colleagues',
'containment_measures': 'Efforts to restore access underway'},
'threat_actor': 'Suspected Iranian hackers',
'title': 'Space Force Official’s Instagram Hacked in Pro-Iran Propaganda '
'Attack',
'type': 'Account Compromise'}