Overview

• The United States and 14 allied nations issued a joint statement on July 31 accusing Iran’s intelligence services of plotting to kill, kidnap and harass dissidents, journalists, Jewish citizens and officials across Europe and North America.
• At least 15 attempted killings or abductions in Britain since 2022, a foiled 2024 plot in the Netherlands and a 2023 US indictment of a gang over a Tehran-backed journalist hit were cited as evidence.
• Esmaïl Baghaï, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, dismissed the allegations as unfounded and accused Western states of diverting attention from the Gaza conflict.
• Signatory countries pledged to enhance intelligence-sharing and joint law enforcement efforts to disrupt further threats on their soil.
• Analysts say the coordinated diplomatic rebuke could lead to new sanctions and intensify tensions in both US-Iran and EU-Iran relations.