WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hackers compromised the Instagram account of Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna over the weekend, posting pro-Iranian and anti-American content before the account was secured, according to reports and statements from the military official.
The breach occurred Sunday and continued into early Monday morning, when unauthorized posts appeared on Bentivegna’s account. The content reportedly included footage of Iranian political figures, anti-U.S. messaging, references to the television series “Game of Thrones,” and audio clips associated with wartime propaganda broadcasts.
Bentivegna alerted colleagues through Facebook, warning them not to interact with any messages, links, or unusual activity originating from the compromised account while efforts were underway to restore control.
According to reports, the attackers may have exploited Meta’s artificial intelligence assistant tools during the account recovery process to gain access. Meta later stated that the affected accounts had been secured and that its investigation was ongoing.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran and follows a series of cyber-related threats targeting American military personnel and government systems. Military officials have previously warned that foreign adversaries increasingly use digital platforms, commercial data, and social media to gather information about U.S. service members.
Earlier this year, U.S. Central Command told Congress that hostile governments and organizations continue to exploit commercially available location data and online activity to monitor military personnel. Defense officials have warned about such vulnerabilities for more than a decade.
The Pentagon has not publicly attributed responsibility for the breach, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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