Washington, DC - The US unveiled charges Friday against three individuals as it accused Iran of election interference, saying malicious actors had hacked the campaign of former president Donald Trump.

The three defendants were said to have conspired with others to carry out "a years-long, wide ranging hacking operation on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The operation in recent times targeted individuals associated with US political campaigns.

"The defendants' own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trump's campaign in advance of the 2024 US presidential election," Garland said.

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The cyber actors had "prepared for and engaged in a wide-ranging hacking campaign" that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to compromise accounts of US government officials and individuals associated with political campaigns, according to Washington court documents.

In a separate statement, the Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on seven individuals including Masoud Jalili -- who was among the three charged – over efforts to interfere in US elections.

The Treasury "remains strongly committed to holding accountable those who see to undermine our institutions," said Acting Treasury Under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Bradley Smith.