Iran-linked Handala Claims FBI Drone Access, Warns World Cup

Handala, a group linked to Iran, claims it had months-long access to first-person view (FPV) drone footage used by the FBI and warned that team buses at the 2026 World Cup could be targeted.

In its statement Handala wrote: “Better tighten your World Cup security, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team’s bus.”

The group described the drones as running facial recognition and license plate checks to support counterterrorism operations.

An intelligence-monitoring group reviewed material published by Handala and found at least one clip that matched a December 2024 promotional video from a software company, raising questions about the origin of other material the group released.

U.S. officials and Western researchers assess Handala as a front for Iranian intelligence. The group first emerged in December 2023 and increased activity after strikes on Tehran in February. In March Handala claimed access to the personal email of FBI Director Kash Patel and published photos and a resume it identified as coming from that account.

The State Department is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of Handala members.

The World Cup runs through July 19 across 16 U.S. cities. Federal authorities have deployed heightened security at venues and on transportation routes.

Security officials have not publicly confirmed a breach of FBI systems. The monitoring group’s finding about the recycled video clip raises questions about the authenticity of other material Handala shared.

U.S. counterintelligence efforts are expected to verify whether FBI FPV feeds were exposed and to assess any vulnerabilities in commercial or government FPV platforms used by law enforcement.