Iran increasingly targets its adversaries in Europe

The Iranian regime is using members of European criminal gangs to target Iranian opposition figures and their supporters residing in Europe, as well as the objects linked to Israel or the Jewish community, in order to avoid attribution. The Iranian regime likely is seeking to intimidate opposition groups following the mass protests in Iran in 2022–2023, and to retaliate for the losses experienced by Iran and its allies in the Middle East.

Iran and its hired criminals have been responsible for a series of attacks across Europe, including in Greece, Spain, Germany, Sweden, the UK, and Denmark, which have involved violence, vandalism, explosives, and firearms. As Israel continues its military operations in the Middle East and directly confronts Iran, there has been an increase in attacks against Israeli embassies, some of which are linked to Iran. These attacks and Iran’s efforts to intimidate adversaries are likely to pose a significant security challenge to Western countries in the near term.