22 countries have accused Iran of persecuting people abroad

The United States and 21 other countries issued a joint statement calling on Iran to immediately cease attacks, intimidation, and persecution of individuals outside the country. The document condemns the activities of Iranian intelligence agencies, which, according to the statement’s authors, use criminal groups to carry out operations in Europe, North America, and Australia.

The statement emphasizes that attempts at murder, kidnapping, persecution, and other attacks on the territory of foreign states undermine national sovereignty and violate international norms.

“Attempts to kill, kidnap, persecute, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our territory undermine national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must be stopped immediately,” the joint statement reads.

The signatory countries assert that the intelligence units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its external operations unit, “Quds,” are involved in organizing attacks on Iranian dissidents, journalists, as well as representatives of Jewish and Israeli communities abroad.

The statement also emphasizes the states’ shared readiness to counter such threats.

“We are united in our determination to protect our countries and our citizens from these threats. The Islamic Republic of Iran must immediately cease these actions,” the authors of the statement noted.

Separately, Iran is accused of involvement in a series of attacks in European countries. These include attacks on Jewish communities, as well as the persecution of Iranian and American journalists. The group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which Western countries say is linked to Tehran, has claimed responsibility for a number of such incidents.

According to Western sources, this group has claimed responsibility for a knife attack on two Jewish men, as well as arson attacks on synagogues and public buildings in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

The statement also mentions events in Australia. Last August, Canberra expelled the Iranian ambassador, accusing Tehran of coordinating anti-Semitic attacks, including the arson of a synagogue in Melbourne and a kosher café in Sydney. In addition, Australia recalled its ambassador from Iran and temporarily suspended the operations of its diplomatic mission in Tehran.

In November, Australia designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling the alleged operations on its territory “unprecedented and dangerous acts of aggression organized by a foreign state.”

In response, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Australian government’s decision “an offensive and unfounded move,” stating that it violates international norms and rules.