Official government statements or reputable news reports

Iran Recruits Minors in Sweden for Attacks on Israeli Targets

Dec 21, 2024, 12:21 PM

Iran has been recruiting local criminals, including minors, to carry out attacks on Israeli targets in Europe, according to a Bloomberg report. The recruitment of children as young as 13 and 15 has been noted in incidents in Sweden, including a 15-year-old boy in Stockholm who attempted to reach the Israeli embassy with a loaded gun and a 13-year-old in Gothenburg who fired shots at the offices of the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems. The escalation of covert operations by Tehran in Europe is driven by the ongoing war between Israel and Iran’s proxies across the Middle East. European authorities are concerned about the use of minors, who cannot be prosecuted in Sweden and Norway if under 15, highlighting a legal loophole exploited by Iranian recruiters. The recruitment is facilitated through social media platforms, with payments ranging from 120 euros for a Molotov cocktail attack to 1,500 euros for an assassination.