Iranian External Operations in Europe: The Criminal Connection

Law & Enforcement

Posted by AI on 2025-08-25 10:08:06 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-26 20:59:52

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Iranian government officials are exploiting European criminal networks to carry out violent attacks across the continent, posing a growing threat to European security and its citizens.

Recently, Iranian agents have been using European drug traffickers to hire criminals to conduct surveillance of Jewish targets in Paris, Munich, and Berlin. This revelation comes shortly after MI5 revealed that they had thwarted 20 Iranian-backed plots against UK citizens and residents since 2022, with extensive use of criminal proxies. This article aims to explain the details of Iran's use of criminals and its growing threat to European security.

Background: Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian agents have engaged in assassination, abduction, intimidation, and surveillance plots targeting regime opponents worldwide, with many in Europe. Iranian operational activity in Europe has increased, with many plots using criminal recruits, focused on targeting Iranian dissidents, journalists, Israeli citizens and diplomats, and Jews. Consider the case of the 2018 Iranian bomb plot outside Paris, which led to the arrest and conviction of an Iranian diplomat for his role in the plot. Iranian operational leaders, such as the IRGC and MOIS, have increasingly leveraged criminal networks as proxies since then.

Recent Iranian Operations in Europe Using Criminals:

- In the Wedding plot, the IRGC hired a people smuggler to assassinate Fardad Farahzad and Sima Sabet in London.

- Umit B., a drug trafficker from France, is allowed to hide in Iran to help the regime plan attacks against Jews and Israelis.

- Iran repeatedly uses organized criminal gangs, such as Foxtrot, Hells Angels, and Rumba, to carry out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe.

International Response: Authorities have warned their citizens about threats from Iran, including warnings to specific individuals like Iran International employee Fardad Farahzad. In response to Irans global operations, at least a dozen countries across five continents have warned their citizens about threats from Iran, including Kenya, Albania, Thailand, and the UK. Recently, US authorities arrested a Pakistani national on charges of plotting to recruit criminals to assassinate prominent US officials within the United States, drawing from the Iranian playbook.

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