Iranian Terrorism on the International Stage – Possible Revenge on Israel

Amid the current tension between Israel and Iran and its Shiite axis partners, following the assassinations of Hezbollah’s Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, it is important to remember that Iran has another avenue for action – international terrorism – in addition to its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. International terrorism could serve as a more convenient and effective alternative to a broad, multi-front retaliation against Israel.

Iran has employed international terrorism as a policy since the early days of the Islamic Revolution, and continues to do so today. Over the years, terrorist attacks by Iranian agents and proxies have become a key part of Iran’s modus operandi to advance its interests against both internal and external opponents, regardless of accepted norms or foreign sovereignty. Although Iran was once one of several states involved in sponsoring terrorism, today it remains the only prominent state actively involved in international terrorism beyond its extensive support for terrorist militias in the Middle East.

Over the past five years, Iran has intensified its international terror activities and has been responsible for dozens of attempted attacks in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. These operations have been carried out under the direct direction of Iran’s Quds Force, the intelligence service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. These entities are responsible for initiating and carrying out attacks against regime opponents in exile, senior government officials in Western countries, and targets in Arab states considered hostile to the regime, as well as Israeli and Jewish targets.

Indeed, Israeli and Jewish entities have been targeted in dozens of Iranian terror operations across countries and continents. Targets have included embassies and official Israeli representations, Israeli businesspeople and tourists at popular locations, as well as synagogues, Chabad centers and other Jewish community institutions. Jewish businesspeople known for their ties to Israel have also been targeted.

In 2021 alone, Iran was linked to attempted attacks and terror-related activities in Kenya, Tanzania, Cyprus, Colombia, Thailand, Sweden, Uganda, Ethiopia, India, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In 2022, Iran was linked to nine terror attempts in Congo, Germany, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tanzania, Turkey and the United Kingdom, while in 2023, Iran was linked to nine terror attempts in India, Cyprus, Brazil, Israel, Azerbaijan and Greece. This year, Iran has already been implicated in attempted terror attacks in Belgium, Sweden and Peru, while the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, backed by the Quds Force, has been linked to attempted terror attacks in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Some countries, such as Turkey and Cyprus, have seen multiple terror attacks, sometimes in the same year.

Iran has also operated in Western countries, previously seen as less susceptible to such attacks, based on the assumption that Iran would not want to provoke a diplomatic confrontation with them. However, Iran has not hesitated to carry out attacks in these countries, hitting both Western targets and opposition exiles, in addition to its activities against targets linked to Israel.

A striking aspect of this increase in international terrorism is Iran’s collaboration with criminal organizations. The Revolutionary Guards maintain close contacts with gangs, drug cartels, and international criminal networks and make use of their services. Iran takes advantage of their willingness and “professional” experience to carry out assassinations, gather operational intelligence, and smuggle people and equipment before and after missions. By collaborating with these criminal networks, Tehran is able to deny and disguise its terrorist activities as purely criminal acts. For example, Iran used the services of the Hells Angels in Germany to plan attacks on Jewish community institutions in several German cities. In January 2024, they collaborated with the Swedish criminal organization Foxtrot in an attack on the Israeli embassy in Sweden.

Because most Iranian attacks were thwarted, the momentum of Iranian activity and the extent of the collaboration between terrorists and criminals have received little attention from the international media. As a result, the public and policymakers may not be fully aware of the magnitude and acute nature of the threat posed to citizens worldwide. Although there has been a slight change in media coverage of this ominous phenomenon in recent months, the problem has still not received sufficient attention and, as a result, essential legal and diplomatic punitive measures to contain these threats have not been taken.

However, Iran’s growing brazenness raises concerns that it will step up its international terrorism, particularly targeting Israeli and Jewish interests. This could be part of its response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of Hamas’s Political Bureau, in Iran.

Implications for Israel

Given Iran’s temporary restraint after the threat of a harsh response to Haniyeh’s assassination, it is possible that Iran will choose a course of action outside the immediate conflict zone in the Middle East. By doing so, Iran could harm Israel’s interests, fulfill its “obligation,” at least temporarily, and send a deterrent message to Israel, while avoiding sanctions from the countries in which it operates, even if it is suspected of being responsible, and preventing an escalation to a regional war with Israel.

To meet this challenge, Israel is advised to:

• • Launch a diplomatic and media campaign to expose all aspects of Iran’s behavior as a rogue state that threatens international norms and the global order by engaging in extensive international terrorism. It is crucial to emphasize the common interests of all countries affected by Iran’s activities across five continents, including those that may become victims in the future. Increased media attention could potentially change the perception of countries that have not seen themselves as threatened by other Iranian actions, such as its development of nuclear weapons and support for terrorist groups in the Middle East. This, in turn, could lead to a joint diplomatic, economic, and security campaign with Israel to prevent the importation of international terrorism into their territory.

• • Lead an international effort to list the Quds Force as a terrorist organization in several countriesincluding the UK and EU countries, following the lead already set by the US and Canada. While the Quds Force is already subject to extensive sanctions, designation as a terrorist organisation would have practical implications. Membership of and support for the Quds Force would be considered criminal offences, potentially reducing support and hampering its operation. Secondly, terrorist designation would provide law enforcement and security services with extensive resources and powers to effectively thwart attacks during the early planning stages. Sharing information about Revolutionary Guards involvement in attacks could help to build legal support for this fight.

• • Given the increasing involvement of criminal elements in Iranian terrorist attacks, It is recommended to inform and involve law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism and the enforcement of Iran’s terror initiatives.This should be done in addition to the successful cooperation that already exists with international intelligence and counter-terrorism organizations.

Yoram Schweitzer

Anat Shapira