As November approaches, a nexus of disinformation targeting the U.S. election has emerged, ranging from Iranian hackers to campaign websites to the use of artificial intelligence, as the U.S. government ramps up its warnings about foreign interference in the Nov. 5 election.

Three of America’s most powerful adversaries, Russia, China and Iran, are on the list.

Russia paid nearly $10 million to hire American influencers, some with millions of followers, to “amplify divisions in the United States,” according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The Justice Department seized 32 domains, some of which included “cybersquatter” sites that spread disinformation and mimicked legitimate news outlets, such as the Washington Post and Fox News, according to Axios.

China and the Taiwan Issue

China is exploiting a campaign called “Spamouflage,” using fake or hacked accounts impersonating American citizens to spread anti-Western sentiment ahead of the election, according to a report released yesterday by intelligence firm Graphika.

Some of the latest political content “is likely generated by artificial intelligence,” the report said.

Analysts told The Associated Press that China is more focused on influencing U.S. policy on Taiwan and undermining confidence in American democracy than helping any particular candidates.

Iran and the Fear of Trump’s Return

Iran has also emerged as a player in its own right in the world of disinformation, having already hacked individuals associated with Donald Trump’s campaign and attempted similar attacks on the campaigns of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

The New York Times reported that the Iranian government and the Revolutionary Guard are pushing the disinformation efforts, which primarily target the Trump campaign.

Iranian agents have also posed as students and provided financial assistance during U.S. protests this year against the Israel-Gaza war, the newspaper reported, citing U.S. intelligence assessments.

A website called the Savannah Time describes itself as “your trusted source for conservative news and opinion in the vibrant city of Savannah.”

Another, called the New Thinker, wants to be “your go-to destination for insightful, progressive news.” The Westland Sun, an online outlet that appears to cater to Muslims in the Detroit suburbs, is in fact all fake sites from the Iranian regime, part of what U.S. officials and tech company analysts say is an escalating campaign by Iran to influence this year’s U.S. presidential election.

Iran has long conducted covert disinformation operations against its regional adversaries and the United States, and according to U.S. government and corporate officials and Iran experts, its recent propaganda and disinformation efforts have become more brazen, diverse and ambitious.

Iran’s efforts appear aimed at undermining former President Donald Trump’s campaign to return to the White House, according to officials and companies, but they also targeted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting a broader goal of sowing internal discord and discrediting the U.S. democratic system more broadly in the eyes of the world.