Tehran, Iran – In a new escalation of the cyber war, the Iranian hacking group known as “Hanzala” claimed on Sunday to have successfully hacked the mobile phone of Tzachi Braverman, the chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sensitive timing and direct threats
This announcement comes just a week after similar claims by the group that they had hacked the phone of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The Hanzala group threatened via its platforms that it would release “sensitive material” concerning Prime Minister Netanyahu within the next few hours, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
Details of the alleged hack
The hackers confirmed that they had gained full access to Braverman’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, and claimed to have obtained:
Private messages and encrypted conversations.
Personal photos and documents are stored on the device.
Visual evidence: The group released photos it claimed were extracted from the phone. These photos document Braverman’s meetings with US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, in an attempt to bolster the credibility of its claims.
Between psychological warfare and technological reality
So far, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office has maintained official silence regarding this news, and has not issued any denial or confirmation of the incident.
Security analysts believe these operations are part of Iran’s ongoing “psychological warfare.” The same group previously threatened Naftali Bennett, but his office confirmed at the time, after technical examinations, that his phone had not been actually hacked. Nevertheless, the repeated targeting of Netanyahu’s inner circle reflects a concerted Iranian effort. The aim is to increase political and media pressure on the Israeli government.
A new battlefield
These developments confirm that the smartphones of senior officials have become a battleground no less dangerous than the military field. Hacking groups seek to exploit personal data as tools for political blackmail and to manipulate public opinion.
