Iran's Covert War Against Sweden: A Growing Threat

The Iranian regime is waging a violent battle against us. The weakening of the Iranian regime is beneficial for Sweden—and the world.

In late January 2024, a hand grenade was thrown at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. Fortunately, it did not explode. This attack is one of five believed to have been carried out by the criminal network Foxtrot on behalf of the Iranian regime, according to SVT's Diamant Salihu.

When it first became known that Iran hired Swedish gang criminals as hitmen, it drew significant attention in Sweden. However, for the Iranian regime, it was "business as usual." Since the 1979 revolution, they have ruthlessly pursued their enemies worldwide.

Iranian intelligence has conducted and ordered attacks, kidnappings, murders, and bombings. The aim has often been to silence or eliminate Iranian opposition or to strike at Jewish or Israeli targets.

This aligns with the Iranian regime's ideology—attempting to break what they perceive as Western hegemony.

Sweden has not been spared.

In 1990, a Kurdish dissident was murdered in Nynäshamn. No one has been convicted for the murder, but clear traces point to Iranian intelligence.

Recently, the Swedish Security Service uncovered advanced murder plans against Swedish Jews, including the chairman of the Jewish Central Council, Aron Verständig.

Member of Parliament Alireza Akhondi, from the Center Party, is known for his criticism of the mullah regime. He is forced to carry a personal alarm after threats and was advised by Säpo to wear a bulletproof vest when visiting Brussels.

Iran also engages in activities that undermine Swedish society in other ways. For example, the regime was a driving force in the LVU campaign against social services a few years ago.

Additionally, many Swedes have been imprisoned by the regime in Iran on weak grounds. Doctor Ahmadreza Djalali is still held in an Iranian prison.

Overall, it is not surprising that the Swedish Security Service has long identified Iran as a particularly serious security threat. Over the past year, the regime's activity in Sweden has increased.

Israel is always the villain, no matter how much blood the opponent has on their hands.

Yet, it seems as if the warnings do not stick. Russian operations and influence attempts receive increasing attention. But Iran's dirty war flies under the radar.

Sweden and Europe have, with a few exceptions, responded submissively to Iranian state terrorism. Partly due to hopes for trade and nuclear agreements, but also because Iran does not hesitate to use violence to achieve its goals.

Unfortunately, there is also a large dose of naivety. The strong connections between the Iranian regime and the Imam Ali Mosque in Järfälla have been known for a long time. Yet, it has been able to receive public funding. Only last spring did state authorities begin to speak clearly about the problem and demand money back.

As the Middle East is once again in flames, the aggressive nature of the Iranian regime should be kept in mind.

In the conflicts following the horrific attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel has committed a series of abuses. The bombings of Gaza have been indiscriminate, the oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank appalling, and the halt to humanitarian aid outright illegal.

For this, Israel deserves strong criticism.

But a positive outcome is that Iran's iron grip over the region has weakened. Almost the entire string of proxy armies and allies that Iran has supported has now either fallen or been undermined. Hezbollah has lost influence in Lebanon, the Assad regime in Syria has been forced out, and only remnants of Hamas in Gaza remain.

This is good news for the world and especially for the inhabitants of the places where these hardline groups have ravaged. As an added bonus, Iran can no longer support Russia in the terror bombings of Ukrainian cities.

Strangely, left-wing debaters in Sweden protested almost as loudly against the surgical strikes on Hezbollah men in Lebanon as against the carpet bombings over Gaza. Israel is always the villain, no matter how much blood the opponent has on their hands.

Now bombs are falling over both Tehran and Tel Aviv. There are significant risks with Israel and Iran fighting a full-scale war. But something rings false with the fears that Israeli attacks could create chaos in the country. The Iranian regime has actively tried to destabilize its surroundings for over 40 years.

It is a victory for Sweden and the world if the rogue state of Iran is weakened.

Patrik Kronqvist is the political editor and head of Expressen's editorial page. Read more of his texts here.