Iran's Government Uses Criminals for Terrorist Operations in Europe

The German magazine Der Spiegel published a report stating that the Islamic Republic systematically hires criminals in Europe to carry out attacks against Jews and Israelis. According to the report, the Islamic Republic had planned attacks in Germany for 2024 by employing a criminal network to monitor Jewish and Israeli targets, and had prepared a series of attacks to set fire to Israeli companies in southern France from late 2023 to early this year. Researchers collaborating with Der Spiegel noted that as tensions between Iran and Israel escalate in the Middle East, it appears the Islamic Republic aims to send the signal that 'Jews should not feel safe anywhere, even in Europe.' This report, titled 'They Do the Dirty Work for the Mullahs,' was published in Der Spiegel's issue on Thursday, September 6. It states that the Islamic Republic is increasingly pursuing a broad strategy to utilize criminal networks for terrorist operations in the United States, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. Der Spiegel wrote: 'The mullahs in Iran have made an agreement with criminals that benefits both parties: the criminals and the rogue state; if the criminals are arrested, the regime can deny any connection to them, a method known in intelligence circles as deniability.' Der Spiegel referenced the arrest of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat, in 2018 for planning a bombing at an opposition gathering near Paris, noting that after Western sanctions intensified against Iran for this reason, the country changed its strategy and relied on criminal groups in the West. According to Western security officials, the Islamic Republic is now 'increasingly relying on criminals and thugs instead of its own agents. They must do the dirty work for Iran.' Based on documents from the French internal intelligence service, 'Iranian services have changed their operational methods and now systematically prefer to use members of criminal circles.' Der Spiegel reported that it obtained documents providing deep insights into one of the criminal cells said to be operating for Iran on European soil. The report detailed the operations and actions of an individual identified as 'Abdul Karim S.', a 34-year-old French citizen with a history of violent crimes who intended to carry out operations in Germany. German intelligence services issued an arrest warrant for him after tracking him, and he was arrested in France shortly thereafter and charged with terrorism-related offenses. German and French security forces believe his actions in Germany were part of a larger plan by the Islamic Republic to organize attacks against individuals, companies, and Jewish and Israeli sites in Europe. The report referenced actions by Abdul Karim S.'s network in France, including setting fire to several Israeli businesses in southern France, and cited the French intelligence agency stating that these actions were part of the Islamic Republic's broader plans to attack Israeli interests in Europe. In June of this year, the Swedish Security and Intelligence Service also announced that it had evidence indicating that the Islamic Republic was using Swedish criminal gangs to carry out 'violent acts' against Israel and other countries and groups in Sweden that Tehran perceives as threats. Iran denies these reports, labeling their content as 'baseless and malicious accusations' stemming from 'misleading and influenced information' from Israel.