Britain and 13 allies including the United States and France condemned on Thursday what they called a surge in assassination, kidnapping and harassment plots by Iranian intelligence services targeting individuals in Europe and North America.
Since early 2022, Britain says it has disrupted more than 20 Iran-linked plots to kidnap or kill individuals in the UK, including British nationals and others Tehran views as threats © Mena Today
Britain and 13 allies including the United States and France condemned on Thursday what they called a surge in assassination, kidnapping and harassment plots by Iranian intelligence services targeting individuals in Europe and North America.
"We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty," the countries said in a joint statement.
The governments - of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the U.S. - called on the Iranian authorities to immediately stop such illegal activities.
They said such actions were increasingly carried out in collaboration with international criminal networks.
Iran's foreign ministry rejected the accusations as "blatant fabrications and a diversionary tactic, part of a malicious campaign of Iranophobia aimed at pressuring the Iranian people."
"The U.S., France, and the other signatories of the anti-Iranian statement must be held accountable for their support and hosting of terrorist and violent groups, which constitutes a violation of international law and support for terrorism," ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement on Friday.
He was apparently referring anti-Iran armed opposition groups based in Europe, such as the Mujahedeen-e Khalq, which was once designated as a terrorist organisation by the U.S. and EU and now operates freely in the West.
Since early 2022, Britain says it has disrupted more than 20 Iran-linked plots to kidnap or kill individuals in the UK, including British nationals and others Tehran views as threats.
In October, Reuters reported that Iran was behind a wave of attempted assassinations and abductions across Europe and the United States.
In March, the British government announced it would require the Iranian state to register all political influence activities, citing increasingly aggressive behaviour by Tehran's intelligence services.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti
Iran is betting it can outlast Washington by turning the Middle East's trade routes, shipping lanes and energy infrastructure into pressure points that steadily raise the cost of confrontation, according to Gulf officials and analysts.
Conflicting signals from the United States and Iran over the status of talks to end their five-month-old war boosted uncertainty on Tuesday, with the latest attack on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz highlighting risks to global energy flows.
President Donald Trump warned Monday, in a Truth Social post, that the US naval blockade on Iran would only be lifted in the event of a "deal" or "total surrender."
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