The British Daily Mail recently reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have been actively seeking to enlist British Muslims. The purpose of this recruitment is for them to act as spies on Jews and those opposing Iran's regime within the UK, among other things.
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The ultimate goal is to gather crucial intelligence that could facilitate the execution of attacks on British soil. The report, which drew from Israeli and British sources, mentioned that these recruiters engaged in conversations with Muslims who were visiting religious sites in Iran and Iraq. These recruits were asked to gather data on Jews and potential targets such as synagogues.
The same report cited an Israeli informant who stated that Israel has been issuing an elevated number of warnings to Britain since the October 7 massacre. These warnings were concerning the potential attacks by Iranian operatives or their associates. The source stated, "We don't know how many Iranian agents there are in Europe and Britain, but all it takes is for one to slip under the radar." Furthermore, the report contained cautionary advice from experts about Iranian scholarship students, indicating that they could potentially be spies as well.
Professor Anthony Glees, a terrorism expert, said: "This is a serious threat that needs to be addressed. IRGC is behind Hamas and the Houthis, and it is also running these spying networks here. British Iranians need to be very careful when they go back to Iran."
Iran is not solely focused on the UK for its espionage activities. Recent revelations in Swedish media indicate that an Iranian pair, who were operatives for the Ayatollah regime's intelligence agency, had plotted to murder Jews in Sweden. It was reported that following their arrest and the unmasking of their scheme, they were expelled from Sweden and sent back to Iran.
The couple resided in Sweden, masquerading as Afghan refugees, and were granted asylum in 2017 under these fictitious identities. In 2021, they were apprehended in the outskirts of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, suspected of preparing terrorist activities. As they constituted a risk to the nation's security, Sweden deported them a year later. As per Swedish reports, the pair had been given directives from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to strike Jewish objectives.
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Beefing up security next to Israeli embassy in Stockholm
(Photo: Henrik MONTGOMERY / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP)
The case's leading prosecutor relayed to Swedish radio, "We are convinced they were here on a mission from Iran," adding, "They posed a very serious security threat to Sweden, so they were expelled." The duo, who were Iranian and subsequently expelled, refuted the accusations leveled against them.
In the closing days of January, a hand grenade was discovered in close proximity to the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, prompting the engagement of bomb disposal professionals to safely defuse it. Over the previous year, and notably following the eruption of the Gaza conflict, Israeli intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet successfully intercepted dozens of terrorist plots against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide, with these attempts linked to Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Iran is also trying to operate its representatives in Israel, and about half a year ago, the Shin Bet announced the thwarting of an Iranian espionage attempt in Israel. According to the organization's announcement, a Jew from Iran was detained for questioning at Ben Gurion Airport, where he admitted that he had received tasks from Iranian security elements - and was expelled.
According to security officials, the reason for the spy's release was "the realization that he performed the tasks out of pressures put on him and a need for money. Hence, there is a low likelihood of significant legal action against him, and he is not an Israeli citizen. He was also arrested before he managed to carry out anything. All this in addition to other operational considerations."