US federal library program website down after it was hacked by ‘Iranian cyber security group’ (PHOTOS)

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDPL) website’s front page briefly showed an image of President Trump being punched in the face, along with a vow to avenge the killing of a top Iranian general before it went offline.

The website run by the FDPL, a US government program set up to ensure federal government publications are available to the public free of charge, was apparently hacked by a group claiming to be from Iran on Saturday evening.

The site, which currently cannot be accessed, briefly showed a message purportedly left by hackers calling themselves ‘Iran Cyber Security Group HackerS’

The front page showed a close-up shot of US President Donald Trump being punched in the face with blood coming out of his mouth. The fist was made to look like it belonged to a uniformed member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with the elite force’s official logo, known as Pasdaran, visible on the sleeve.

Accompanying the picture was a message in Persian and in English, promising “severe revenge” on those complicit in the assassination of the IRGC’s Quds Force leader, Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on Thursday.

“Martyrdom was his (Shahid Soleymani) reward for years of implacable efforts. With his departure and with God’s power, his work and path will not cease and severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his blood and the blood of the other martyrs of last night’s incident.”

While it has since been taken down, the message purportedly left by “Iranian hackers” can still be found on Google search.

“In the name of god. Hacked By Iran Cyber Security Group HackerS;). This is only small part of Iran's cyber ability ! We're always ready,” it reads.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the breach late Saturday, but did not immediately point the finger at Tehran.

“At this time, there is no confirmation that this was the action of Iranian state-sponsored actors,” Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said, as cited by CNN.

"We are aware the website of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was defaced with pro-Iranian, anti-US messaging"

The Government Publishing Office (GPO), which runs the program, noted that the website was take down as soon as the “intrusion” was discovered.

The incident comes just hours after the DHS sounded the alarm over a supposed “terrorism threat” to the US from Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic “can execute cyber-attacks against the United States” that may have a “temporary disruptive effect” on critical infrastructure.

Following the killing of Soleimani, who played an important role in the fight against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in both Iraq and Syria, Iran said that it reserves the right to retaliate. A senior commander within the IRGC said on Saturday that the Iranian military has identified 35 US and Israeli targets in the region.

Hours after the warning was issued, Trump stirred tensions even further, saying the US is ready to fire at 52 Iranian sites, including those of cultural importance to the Iranian people, if Tehran moves to avenge the murder of Soleimani, which was denounced by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as “an act of international terrorism.”

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