A global warning on Iran’s covert activities

A coalition of 22 countries led by the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (U.K.) has issued one of the strongest collective condemnations of Iran’s external security operations in recent years, accusing Tehran of orchestrating assassination plots, kidnappings, intimidation campaigns, and other hostile activities across Europe, North America, and Australia.

The declaration reflects growing international concern over what Western governments describe as a coordinated and expanding campaign of transnational repression conducted by Iran beyond its borders.

A rare unified international warning

The joint statement, signed by 22 countries including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands, warned that Iranian-linked operations represent a serious violation of national sovereignty and international norms. The governments alleged that Iran’s security and intelligence apparatus, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Quds Force, and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), has increasingly relied on international criminal networks to target dissidents, journalists, Jewish communities, Israeli interests, and Western institutions.

According to the signatories, Iranian intelligence agencies have been involved in “lethal plotting and malign actions” targeting individuals and communities across multiple continents. The governments stressed that attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people within their territories are unacceptable and must cease immediately.

The statement further stressed that the participating countries remain united in their determination to protect their citizens and institutions from what they regard as Iranian-sponsored threats, while signaling their readiness to adopt additional measures to counter such activities.

Alleged targets: Dissidents, journalists, and Jewish communities

Western governments argue that Iranian operations abroad have primarily focused on 3 categories of targets: Iranian opposition figures living in exile, journalists reporting critically on the Islamic Republic, and Jewish and Israeli communities.

The latest declaration specifically condemned a recent wave of attacks across Europe claimed by a group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which authorities allege maintains links to Iranian intermediaries. The group has reportedly claimed responsibility for assaults targeting Jewish individuals and institutions in several European countries, including the U.K., Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Governments involved in the statement also cited attacks directed against American interests and Iranian journalists residing abroad, describing them as part of a broader campaign designed to silence critics and intimidate perceived adversaries of the Iranian state.

The growing role of criminal networks

One of the most striking aspects of the accusations concerns Iran’s alleged use of organized crime groups to conduct operations while maintaining a degree of plausible deniability.

According to intelligence assessments cited by Western officials, Iranian security agencies have increasingly relied on local and international criminal organizations to carry out surveillance, intimidation, vandalism, and violent attacks. Drug traffickers, smuggling networks, and organized crime syndicates have allegedly been used as intermediaries to recruit operatives and execute missions on behalf of Iranian intelligence services.

This trend reportedly accelerated after a failed 2018 bombing plot near Paris that resulted in the arrest and conviction of an Iranian diplomat. Security analysts argue that, following heightened scrutiny of official Iranian operatives, Tehran adapted its methods by outsourcing sensitive operations to criminal actors, thereby reducing direct exposure for state institutions.

Western intelligence agencies contend that this strategy enables Iranian authorities to conceal operational links while continuing to exert pressure on opponents abroad.

European cases raise alarm

Several incidents cited by European security services illustrate the growing concerns surrounding Iranian-linked activities.

Investigations in Germany and France revealed allegations that criminals connected to drug trafficking networks were hired to conduct surveillance of Jewish individuals and businesses. In Sweden, authorities linked attacks against Israeli diplomatic facilities to criminal gangs reportedly acting on behalf of Iranian interests. Similar concerns emerged in Belgium and other European countries where intelligence agencies detected attempts to monitor or intimidate potential targets.

British security services have also repeatedly warned of Iranian-backed plots. MI5 Director General Ken McCallum disclosed that British authorities had disrupted numerous Iran-linked operations targeting individuals residing in the U.K. since 2022. According to British officials, criminal proxies ranging from international traffickers to low-level offenders have increasingly been employed to execute these activities.

These developments have contributed to growing fears that Europe is becoming a major theater for covert Iranian operations.

A mounting international security challenge

The joint statement represents more than a diplomatic protest; it signals a broader shift toward collective action against what Western governments perceive as a growing transnational threat.

Security experts argue that the allegations highlight the evolving nature of state-sponsored operations in the modern era, where governments increasingly rely on non-state actors, criminal organizations, and proxy networks to conduct activities abroad. Such tactics complicate law enforcement efforts and blur the lines between organized crime and national security threats.

The accusations also add another layer of tension to already strained relations between Iran and many Western countries, particularly amid ongoing disputes over regional security, nuclear policy, and Iran’s support for armed proxy groups across the Middle East.

The aforementioned joint warning underscores the seriousness with which Western governments view alleged Iranian operations beyond its borders. By issuing these accusations, the signatories have elevated the issue into a major international security concern.

Hence, while Iran continues to deny such allegations and rejects accusations of state-sponsored terrorism, the growing number of investigations, diplomatic disputes, and coordinated responses suggest that the issue will remain a significant source of friction between Tehran and the West.