22 Countries Blames Iran for Killings, Kidnappings and Intimidation Plots Abroad
Joint statement from 22 countries accuses Iranian security services of using criminal networks to carry out killings, kidnappings, harassment, and intimidation targeting dissidents, journalists, and Jewish communities
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Twenty-two countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and several European and Oceanian nations, have jointly accused Iran of carrying out state-sponsored attacks and covert operations on their territory and called on Tehran to immediately halt such activities.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the countries alleged that Iranian security services have relied on both international and local criminal networks to conduct operations that included killings, kidnappings, harassment and intimidation.
The statement described the alleged activities as “deplorable” and accused Iranian state institutions of orchestrating operations beyond the country's borders.
The coalition specifically named Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including its intelligence branches and the Quds Force, accusing them of involvement in what it described as “lethal plotting and malign actions.”
According to the statement, the alleged operations targeted Iranian dissidents living abroad, journalists, Jewish and Israeli communities, and interests linked to those groups, as well as American journalists.
The signatory countries also linked Iran to a series of attacks in Europe claimed by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al Yamin al Islamiya (HAYI), or “The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand.”
In the United Kingdom, the group reportedly claimed responsibility for the stabbing of two Jewish men and for arson attacks targeting synagogues and community facilities in north London. The incidents prompted a visit by King Charles to the affected area.
The statement further alleged that Iran was behind attacks in Australia during 2025, including an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne and the burning of a kosher café in Sydney.
Belgium, meanwhile, reportedly strengthened security measures around Jewish sites by deploying soldiers in response to the threat environment outlined in the statement.
The statement highlighted growing diplomatic tensions between Iran and some Western countries.
It referred to measures taken by Australia in late 2025, including the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador, the withdrawal of Australia's ambassador from Tehran, and the suspension of embassy operations in Iran.
Australia also designated the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism, describing the alleged attacks as “unprecedented and dangerous acts of aggression.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations and condemned the measures taken against it, describing them as “insulting and unjustified.”
Countries joining the statement
The joint statement was signed by 22 countries:
Albania, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, and Bulgaria
The coordinated statement represents one of the broadest joint diplomatic condemnations of Iran’s alleged overseas activities in recent years and underscores growing concerns among Western governments over security threats linked to Iranian state institutions.