Fourteen countries including the US and UK have accused Iran of using terrorist networks to target journalists, dissidents, Jewish citizens, and current and former officials in Europe and North America. The allegations come after authorities in Britain and the Netherlands previously reported attempts to kidnap or kill individuals.
The joint statement, issued by Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US, condemns Iran’s “clear violation of our sovereignty”. The countries say Iranian intelligence agencies are increasingly collaborating with international criminal organisations to target vulnerable individuals.
The statement calls on the Iranian authorities to stop such illegal activities immediately. Since 2022, Britain has disrupted over 20 plots by Iran-linked groups to kidnap or kill people in the UK. Dutch intelligence also reported a thwarted assassination attempt on an Iranian living in the country last year.
Additionally, US authorities have indicted three members of a European gang allegedly involved in a Tehran-backed plot to assassinate an Iranian-American journalist. The allegations are part of a growing international concern over Iran’s alleged use of terrorist networks to target critics and dissidents abroad.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-01/western-allies-accuse-iran-of-assassination-kidnapping-plots/105599350