Western allies accuse Iran of targeting dissidents, Jewish communities abroad

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Twenty-two countries, including the United States and several European nations, on Wednesday accused Iran’s intelligence services and affiliated groups of targeting dissidents, journalists, and Jewish communities abroad, urging Tehran to immediately halt what they described as threats and attacks across Europe, North America and Australia.

“Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermine national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately,” the countries said in a joint statement.

The countries accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence organization and affiliated groups of "lethal plotting and other malign actions" against dissidents, journalists, and members of Jewish and Israeli communities.

The joint statement specifically condemned activities linked to the IRGC, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and Quds Force. It also referenced attacks claimed by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), a group that has emerged as a growing security concern in Europe.

The warning follows renewed attention to threats against journalists working for Persian-language media outlets abroad.

In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday welcomed the conviction of two Romanian men for their role in the 2024 assault on an Iran International journalist in London "in a carefully planned attack that prosecutors said was linked to the Iranian state," describing the ruling as a critical step toward accountability for attacks against members of the media.

According to CPJ, the case involved Iran International presenter Pouria Zeraati, who was stabbed outside his London home in March 2024. British authorities later linked the attack to an organized criminal network, while investigators examined possible connections to broader efforts targeting journalists and critics of the Iranian government.

"The level of threat has increased in recent months, due to increased international attention on the coverage of Iran," CPJ said.

Media freedom organizations such as CPJ and Western governments have repeatedly warned that Iranian dissidents and journalists living abroad face increasing risks of intimidation, surveillance, and physical attacks.

The statement, signed by Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, also highlighted concerns over attacks against Jewish and Israeli-linked targets across Europe.

They issued a collective statement commending “the work of countries to counter these activities,” stating that, “we are together resolved to undertake further measures to halt them."

According to a report by the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) in May, HAYI has claimed responsibility for a series of threats and attacks targeting Jewish institutions, Israeli-linked sites, Iranian dissidents, and Persian-language media organizations.

In April, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported that HAYI has claimed a string of attacks on Jewish sites and Western financial institutions across Europe since early March and is believed to be aligned with the IRGC or an opportunistic network operating within the broader pro-Iranian online ecosystem.