A CNN report has shown that Iran is allegedly using criminal gangs in Sweden to attack the interests of Israel and the Jewish community
What is even more worrying is that minors are being recruited for these actions.
According to CNN, Iran is allegedly hiring Swedish criminal groups to target targets linked to Israel and Jews.
The Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) reported that between 2023 and 2024, at least four attacks or attempted attacks were recorded against the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.
These cases include shootings and an attempted explosion, and many of the suspects are teenagers under the age of 18.
Swedish police and prosecutors say these young people are being manipulated by gangs following orders from Iranian intelligence.
Examples of cases involving teenagers
In May 2024, a 15-year-old boy from the city of Vasteras left his house at night thinking he was going to run a simple errand.
He was arrested by Swedish police carrying a gun.
The next day, a 14-year-old boy fired a pistol near the Israeli embassy.
The 15-year-old was eventually sentenced to serve time in a juvenile hall, but the 14-year-old was not punished because he was too young.
Court documents cited by CNN show that both were in contact with gang members who arranged transportation and gave instructions.
Prosecutors believe the young men were unaware of who was actually behind the attacks.
In another case, a 13-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly shooting at the offices of Elbit Systems, an Israeli technology company in Sweden.
Fredrik Hallstrom, SÄPO’s chief operating officer, said that Iran’s involvement in these attacks is a serious possibility.
SÄPO has previously accused Iran of using gangs to attack the Jewish community abroad, but the Iranian government has denied these allegations, calling them “baseless.” Experts interviewed by the BBC have said that the teenagers were not acting out of hatred for Jews or because of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Swedish journalist Diamant Salihu, who investigates crimes for public television SVT, explained: “To understand why young Swedes are attacking Israeli companies and embassies, we need to remember that Sweden has a long-standing problem of gang conflicts.”
Swedish PM accuses Iran
In January 2025, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accused Iran of using organized gangs to carry out serious attacks in the country, according to the website Iran International.
“Iran is using criminal and violent gangs to carry out serious attacks in Sweden,” he said at a conference in the north of the country.
He added: “Sweden is not at war, but it is not at peace either.
True peace requires freedom and the absence of major conflicts between countries.
We and our neighbors are suffering from hybrid attacks, using computers, money, false information and the risk of sabotage.”
SÄPO reported to CNN that two of Sweden’s largest gangs, called Foxtrot and Rumba, were allegedly following orders from the Iranian government to carry out these attacks.
The gangs, led by Rawa Majid and Ismail Abdo, are being investigated for crimes including arms trafficking, murder and terrorism.
Foxtrot, one of the country’s most violent gangs, often uses teenagers for criminal activities.
Majid, who was born in Iran, is said to have returned there in 2023, according to information from the Israeli secret service Mossad, which confirmed that he is now working with the Iranian government and is behind the recent attacks.
In March 2025, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Foxtrot and Majid, accusing them of collaborating with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
They claim the gang has carried out Iranian-sponsored attacks against Israelis in Europe, including an attempted bombing in Stockholm in January 2024. The Mossad has also linked Majid and Abdo to Iran, accusing their networks of plots against Israeli diplomatic facilities.
Both are wanted by Interpol.
Majid is believed to be operating in northern Iraq, while Abdo was arrested in Turkey but released on bail.
Concerns over use of minors
The investigation has raised concerns about the increasing involvement of children in violent crime.
A Swedish report from 2025 found that 30% of suspects in gun murders in 2024 were under 18.
Sweden’s legal system, which focuses on rehabilitating young offenders, is being challenged as gangs take advantage of the lighter punishments for minors.
How are minors recruited?
Encrypted messaging platforms such as Signal, Telegram and Zangi are being used to recruit teenagers for violent actions.
Offers of crime appear with secret emojis: foxes for the Foxtrot, strawberries for the Rumba and skulls for murder.
Social workers and experts say the gangs lure young people with promises of money, designer clothes and protection, and by offering a false sense of belonging.
To try to address this, ministers from Sweden, Denmark and other Nordic countries have met with companies such as Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat, calling for stricter rules to control content and more cooperation with the police.
Some companies agreed to share ideas in a Nordic forum, but platforms such as Telegram did not participate.
A bigger problem
Experts warn that using criminals, especially minors, for politically motivated attacks is a growing threat not only to Israeli diplomats and Jewish institutions, but to public safety in Europe.
In Sweden, the rise in gang-related shootings and explosions is already a major political issue.
In January 2025 alone, there were 33 gang-related explosions, the highest monthly number in the country’s history.
Security officials say the involvement of foreign intelligence services, such as Iran’s, is making the crisis even worse.
“Organized crime in Sweden is a weakness that is being exploited by countries,” said Fredrik Hallstrom of SÄPO.
This situation shows a new phase in the proxy war between Iran and Israel, which previously took place only in the Middle East and has now reached Europe, with the help of local criminal networks and digital platforms.
For Israeli and Jewish communities outside Israel, the incidents in Sweden are a warning about the reach of Iran’s allies and the need to remain vigilant.
Governments in Europe and Israel should increase information sharing and protection measures for diplomatic and community sites.
Cases like the one in Stockholm have already been seen in other European countries, such as Germany and Greece, where security services have reported similar plots against Jewish targets, allegedly involving local people pressured or manipulated by agents linked to Iran.
Published in 04/09/2025 02h25
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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