Iranian external operations refer to the activities conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in foreign countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. These are primarily carried out by Unit 840 of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), supported by the Ministry of Intelligence, and affiliated proxy networks. They employ military, intelligence, diplomatic, cyber, and proxy methods to advance Iran's foreign policy objectives, including surveillance, harassment, targeting of dissidents, and critics of the Iranian regime. These operations have a global reach, with a particular focus on the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, North America, Latin America and Europe.
In 2025, 14 Western governments issued a joint statement publicly accusing Iran of orchestrating a wave of assassination attempts, abductions, and intimidation campaigns against individuals living in Europe and North America. Iranian officials have denied conducting such operations, dismissing such allegations as "baseless".
Background Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran became a theocratic republic. Following its mandate under article 150 of the constitution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is tasked with protecting the regime, and spreading the Islamic Revolution worldwide. The new government in Iran subscribed to the velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) doctrine, seeking to shift the regional status quo by opposing Western influence, particularly the US, and supporting global Shia and anti-Israel movements. The IRGC, mainly through Unit 840, has led the execution of these operations, regularly using criminal groups to maintain plausible deniability.
International reactions Iran's external operations have raised strong concerns for many countries worldwide, especially for those were attempts of assassinations, cyber-attacks, terrorism, and proxy violence in Europe, North America, the Middle East, took place. Most common reactions are those of formal condemnations, warnings to citizens, increased diplomatic pressure. On 31 July 2025, 14 countries, including NATO members and the US, published a joint condemnation at Iran's external operations. The condemnation referred to its intelligence threats as well as plots to "Kill, Kidnap and Harass" citizens around the world. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the claims as "baseless".
Calls for terrorist designation
Recent years have brought European governments and the European parliament to call for the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. This follows the United States and Canada's stronger measure against Iran as its plot are globally uncovered. This is emphasized in Sweden's strong stand pushing for coordinated terrorist listings to improve law enforcement and counterterrorism responses across the European Union.
Sanctions and counter measures
The United States and its allies have increased sanctions against entities and individuals linked to Iran's external operations, including criminal proxies such as the Foxtrot Network in Sweden.
British, German and French law enforcement and intelligence agencies have increased their efforts to expose and prevent Iranian plots including surveillance, assassination attempts and cyber intrusions against dissident, Jewish and Israeli targets.
Europe Iran has extended the use of proxies into Europe, by outsourcing its operations to European criminal networks, with the frequency of actions increasing since 2019. These actions include assassinations, kidnapping, espionage and surveillance, targeting Iranian dissidents, Jews and Israeli-affiliated institutions.
France In recent years, Iranian criminal actions in France have increased. These efforts are aimed at dissidents, Jews, Israelis, and political opponents. Iran employs domestic criminal groups, such as drug dealers and gangs, to carry out these attacks while maintaining plausible deniability. This was supported by an 84 report of the France 2050 think tank, stating that Iran is secretly trying to influence and weaken France and other Western countries by using political pressure, spying operations, and ties with Islamist groups. It claims the IRGC leads these efforts, hiring criminal gangs to threaten or attack Iranian opponents living in Europe and carrying out plots and surveillance in France. The study also says the IRGC is working with the Muslim Brotherhood to boost pro-Palestinian protests, helping Iran present itself as a major force in regional conflicts after October 7.
1991 assassination of Shapour Bakhtiar In 1991, Shapour Bakhtiar and his secretary were murdered in his home in Suresnes, France, by agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
2018 Paris Area Bomb Plot In 2018, European intelligence discovered that Vienna-based diplomat Assadolah Assadi planned to bomb a large Iranian opposition rally near Paris. He passed explosives and €22,000 to two Belgian nationals of Iranian origin who were intended to perform the attack. Assadi was arrested and sentenced in 2021 to a 20-year prison in Belgium.
"Sunflowers Case" Mehrez Ayari, a French-Tunisian with a criminal record, was arrested for a 2022 murder in Val-d’Oise. He was later linked to the attempted assassination of former EU lawmaker Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid in November 2023. Ayari had ties to criminal groups in France and Europe and was reportedly recruited by Iran to perform overseas killing.
"Simay Azadi" attack On 31 May 2023, Simay Azadi, an Iranian opposition media center in Saint‑Ouen‑l’Aumône near Paris was attacked by Molotov cocktails and gunfire. On 11 and 13 June, gasoline containers were left outside the offices. French authorities stated these actions were performed by criminals hired by the Iranian government.
Marco Polo operation The Marco Polo operation refers to a counterterrorism investigation conducted both in France and Germany revealing an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cell accused of plotting attacks targeting Jewish individuals, Israeli-linked businesses, and associated targets in Europe.
Iran's drug trafficking network Bruno Retailleau, the French Interior Minister, stated in June 2025 that Iran has contracted drug traffickers to perform operations in France.
2026 Paris foiled bomb attack On 28 March 2026 amid the Iran war, a foiled bomb attack outside of a Bank of America in Paris was linked to Islamic Republic-linked proxy operatives.
Germany According to several sources, Iranian involvement in German crime has become a serious security issue. Iranian intelligence agencies employ domestic criminal groups to spy on, threaten, or attack Jews, Israelis, and political dissidents.
1992 assassination of Fereydoun Farrokhzad In March 2025, Mohsen Rafiqdoost, former Minister of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, admitted that the IRGC had paid Basque separatists to assassinate dissidents abroad, including the 1992 assassination of Fereydoun Farrokhzad, as part of the chain murders of Iran.
2021 synagogue attacks In 2021 Iran used the German Hells Angels group and their leader Ramin Yektaparast, a dual German-Iranian national to execute two synagogue attacks in Bochum and Essen.
2025 plot to target Jews and Israelis In July 2025, the German and Danish authorities have disrupted a plot by the Quds Force to target Jewish individuals and institutions in Berlin. Danish citizen (Ali S.), of Afghan origin was arrested on suspicion of carrying out surveillance of potential targets. He is awaiting be extradition to Germany.
German counter measures German and French police have discovered and prevented several Iranian plots, including murder and arson attacks on Jewish individuals and groups through intelligence efforts. Suspected Iranian agents and their affiliates have been arrested. A 2025 report issued by the German domestic intelligence agency (BfV), claims as rise in harassment cases of Iranians living in Germany by Iranian security services, including attempts to spy on them and other exiles. This brough a set up of a special 24/7 hotline in 2024 for reporting anything linked to terrorism and espionage, with reports concerning Iran are on the rise in recent months.
United Kingdom Since the late 2010s, British intelligence and security officials have identified an increase in Iran's involvement in the UK through criminal networks.
"The Wedding" plot In 2022, the IRGC aimed to assassinate two Iranian journalists in London, who were affiliated with Iran International, a Persian-language news channel critical of the Iranian regime. Sima Sabet and Fardad Farahzad were targeted in November 2022 by Unit 840 (a secretive special operations unit within the IRGC-QD), codenamed "the bride" and "the groom". The plot was uncovered by a double agent, and ultimately failed.
2024 stabbing of Pouria Zeraati In 2024, journalist Pouria Zeraati was attacked and stabbed by several men as he left his London residence, fueling concerns that the Iranian government was involved.
2025 attempt to attack the Israeli embassy in London In May 2025, UK police arrested five individuals, including four Iranian nationals, who were suspected of planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in London. The arrests took place during coordinated raids in London, Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester, as part of a major counter-terrorism operation. According to former intelligence officials and security sources, the suspects are believed to be linked to Unit 840.
2025−2026 Iran-linked bots shutdown During January 2026, as Iran imposed its longest internet shutdown to date, multiple pro-Scottish independence accounts on X (formerly Twitter) went silent. This came in response to nationwide protests as a means to cut off global internet access to suppress dissent and control information flows. This was very similar to the 2025 Internet blackout in Iran, where the matching accounts also went silent. Back in 2025, cybersecurity analysts and UK officials linked those accounts to Iran.
British counter measures Since 2022, MI5 and the police have stopped at least 20 Iranian linked plots in the UK. Intelligence suggests that Iran funded domestic criminal groups to perform violence and espionage. MI5 chief Ken McCallum has vowed to give his “fullest attention to the risk of an increase in, or broadening of, Iranian state aggression in the UK” A 2025 report issued by UK counter terrorism police states that schoolchildren have been investigated and arrested over suspected involvement in espionage, arson, and other criminal acts. These teenagers were reportedly contacted online or through existing criminal networks. This Modus Operandi is known to be used by Iran.
In August 2025, it was reported that Iran's IRGC have approached the Taliban in request to obtain a leaked list of MI6 assets and 25,000 Afghans who aided UK forces. Later in August a new report showed that Iran is using a new strategy aimed to overwhelm UK security services. The method is to launch high volume and low-cost, deniable plots in order to exhaust MI5 and police resources rather than achieving real success. This is based on a belief that the UK won't increase its budget on security. Sources show that MI5 has already had to move staff away from counter terrorism, in order to deal with more threats from countries like Iran, Russia, and China, all while facing budget cuts and reduced funding for prevention programs. According to sources Iran views the UK as its main Western enemy and hopes that by creating a big enough security crisis, it can force Britain into negotiations.