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A notorious Iranian cybercriminal, who has been on the FBI’s most-wanted list, was reportedly killed last week in an operation involving Israeli forces targeting Iran, as per reports from an Iranian media source.
The individual, Mohammad Mehdi Farhadi Ramin, faced accusations of identity theft involving American citizens and breaching national security databases. His demise occurred in Hamadan, with Iran International reporting that his funeral took place on Monday.
Farhadi had been pursued by U.S. federal agents since 2020 for his suspected role in cyberattacks that trace back to at least 2013, according to the FBI.
His alleged offenses include infiltrating businesses, academic institutions, U.S. defense firms, and nonprofit organizations to extract confidential information. He is also accused of obtaining American citizens’ credit card details and Social Security numbers to support unlawful endeavors, with some of this stolen data being sold on the dark web.
Mehdi Farhadi was sought by U.S. authorities starting in 2020. (FBI)
Ramin was first indicted on Sept. 15, 2020, by a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, for his alleged involvement in a massive, coordinated cyber intrusion campaign on behalf of the Iranian government.
Ramin and a co‑defendant reportedly vandalized websites with ideological messaging meant to project Iranian influence, including images of burning Israeli flags and threats that appeared to “signal the demise” of countries viewed as rivals to Iran, including the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia.
An aerial view shows the cityscape of Hamadan, Iran, on Dec. 14, 2025. (Mobina / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
“They brazenly infiltrated computer systems and targeted intellectual property and often sought to intimidate perceived enemies of Iran, including dissidents fighting for human rights in Iran and around the world,” the Justice Department previously said.Â
“This conduct threatens our national security, and as a result, these defendants are wanted by the FBI and are considered fugitives from justice.”
An FBI wanted poster alleges that Mehdi Farhadi committed “malicious cyber activity” targeting the U.S. and other countries. (FBI)
Authorities alleged that the suspect also compromised email accounts by creating hidden automated forwarding rules that secretly sent all incoming and outgoing emails directly to him and his co-conspirators.
Top Iranian hacker Mehdi Farhadi was reportedly killed last week in Iran. (FBI)
Officials emphasized that these actions allowed Iran to access a massive volume of stolen information, including hundreds of terabytes of data related to national security, foreign policy, civilian nuclear research, aerospace and unpublished scientific studies.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon for more information.