Iran expels Swedish diplomat after Tehran accused of security threats
Iran has given a Swedish diplomat 48 hours to leave the country following the expulsion of an Iranian official from Sweden, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said. The Swedish government had accused Iranian officials operating from its embassy in Stockholm of working against opposition groups on Swedish soil by using criminal networks. Iran rejected the claims on Thursday after it summoned the…
On Thursday, Iran expelled a Swedish diplomat, giving them 48 hours to leave the country, following the Swedish government's expulsion of an Iranian official from Sweden. The Swedish government had accused Iranian officials operating from the Swedish embassy of working against opposition groups on Swedish soil, using criminal networks.
Iran rejected these claims on Thursday, summoning the Swedish ambassador Mathias Otterstedt. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the Swedish action had no "justified reason," alleging that the Swedish government's motive was influenced by the Zionist regime and aimed at disrupting the Islamic Republic of Iran's embassy in Stockholm. Iranian officials accused Sweden of hosting anti-Iranian terrorist elements and groups.
Alireza Yousefi, the director of the Foreign Ministry's Western Europe Department, made these accusations during his conversation with the ambassador. Iran has been accused by multiple countries of utilizing criminal networks in Europe to target dissidents overseas and Jewish organizations. The Swedish crime boss Rawa Majid is believed to be hiding in Iran, according to Swedish politicians.
Earlier this year, a Norwegian teenager was accused of being recruited by Majid's Foxtrot group to murder someone in England. Multiple attacks have been reported on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, including a hand grenade found on the grounds in February 2024 and a shooting a few months later. The Swedish government attributed these attacks to Iran, although they did not specifically mention these cases.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer stated that Iran had been conducting security-threatening activities against Sweden for a long period, targeting both dissidents and Jewish/Israeli interests using criminal networks. Several Iranian opposition groups, including Kurdish parties in exile and supporters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, officially operate in Sweden.
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