In a recent update on national security threats to the United Kingdom, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum reported that authorities have faced twenty Iranian-backed plots targeting UK citizens and residents since January 2022. He highlighted the extensive use of criminals by Iranian state actors, from international drug traffickers to minor offenders, as proxies to carry out their operations. This trend is not unique to the UK and has been observed across Europe. Meanwhile Major General Hossein Salami, Chief Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), has said that US policies are to blame for Takfiri terrorism and disunity in the Islamic world threatening Europe and the US with consequences.
In September, investigators in Germany and France disclosed that Iranian agents employed European drug traffickers based in Iran to recruit local criminals for surveillance of Jewish individuals and businesses in Paris, Munich, and Berlin. One French criminal admitted receiving €1,000 to photograph a target’s home in Munich. According to France’s DGSI intelligence agency, “Iranian services have adjusted their methods, increasingly using criminal networks to execute attacks abroad.”
Trend analysis from a dataset compiled by Levitt shows that since a 2018 foiled Iranian bomb plot near Paris, Iranian authorities, particularly the IRGC and MOIS, have increasingly used criminal networks for foreign operations. The Washington Institute has created an interactive map showing Iranian external operations worldwide, with a noted rise in European plots involving criminal recruits.
Meanwhile
Background: Iranian Operations in Europe
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian agents have engaged in numerous assassination, abduction, and surveillance plots against regime opponents globally, with many taking place in Europe. From the 1979 assassination of the Shah’s nephew in Paris to the 2024 stabbing of Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati in London, Iran’s reach is evident. Data indicates a surge in Iranian activities in Europe, with over half of the plots recorded between 2021 and 2024 targeting dissidents, Israelis, and Jews. Sixteen of these incidents involved criminal operatives.
A notable case involves the IRGC’s plan to assassinate London-based Iran International news anchors, where they hired a people smuggler for the task. This demonstrates Iran’s reliance on transnational criminals with deep-rooted connections across Europe.
Use of Criminal Networks
Iran’s government increasingly relies on drug traffickers in Iran to connect with criminal networks abroad. For instance, Turkish drug trafficker Umit B., now operating from Iran, reportedly collaborates with Iranian authorities to plan attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets. Similarly, Iran-based narco-trafficker Naji Ibrahim Zindashti assists in transnational repression on Tehran’s behalf, protected by Iranian security forces. Iranian state-sponsored criminal activity includes collaborations with organized gangs like Foxtrot and Hell’s Angels, frequently used to target Israeli and Jewish interests across Europe.
International Response
The frequency of Iranian plots since 2019 has drawn global attention. Multiple countries have issued warnings to citizens regarding Iranian threats, with some expelling Iranian diplomats in response. Authorities worldwide have noted that Iran’s aggressive intelligence operations pose ongoing risks, with targeted warnings issued to individuals like UK-based journalist Fardad Farahzad.
Iran’s external operations aim to address perceived threats to the regime, including targeting U.S. officials, Israelis, Jews, and dissidents. To avoid direct confrontation, Iran now relies on criminal intermediaries and dual nationals tied to its network of Shia militant proxies. Authorities in Europe and elsewhere must adopt robust measures to detect and prevent such operations. In line with Sweden’s suggestion, the European Union or its member states should classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization to enable a coordinated counterterrorism response, thereby going beyond existing sanctions and addressing the full spectrum of this state-sponsored threat.
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