Twenty-two countries, including the United States and several European nations, issued a joint warning to Iran on Thursday, demanding an immediate halt to attacks on their soil. The statement condemned Iran's security services for using international and local criminal gangs to carry out plots in Europe, North America, and Australia.
Joint Statement Condemns Iran's Actions
The countries said in a joint statement: "Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately." They accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence services and its foreign operations branch, the Quds Force, of engaging in "lethal plotting and malign actions" against Iranian dissidents, journalists, and Jewish and Israeli communities and interests.
Campaign of Attacks Across Europe
The countries also accused Iran of being behind a campaign of attacks across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists, and US journalists. These attacks were claimed by the Iran-linked group Harakat Ashab Al-Yamin Al-Islamiya (HAYI), which means The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand. HAYI has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands, including the stabbing of two Jewish men and a series of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in north London over recent months.
Australia's Response
Australia expelled Iran's ambassador to Australia in August last year, accusing Tehran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks: an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne and the torching of a kosher cafe in Sydney. Canberra also withdrew the Australian ambassador to Iran and suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran. In November, Australia designated the Revolutionary Guards as a state sponsor of terrorism, describing its alleged attacks in Australia as "unprecedented and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil." Iran's foreign ministry responded by calling Australia's decision an "insulting and unjustified act" that violated international rules and norms.
List of Signatory Countries
The statement was issued by Albania, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States.
