A Growing Security Threat: Iranian Intelligence Operations in Scandinavia (Part Two: Sweden)

Iranian intelligence operations in Sweden reveal a systematic strategy of espionage, cyber intrusions, extraterritorial repression, and influence campaigns that extend across Scandinavia. Recent cases show Tehran’s reliance on sleeper agents, proxies, and criminal networks, including the Foxtrot organization, to target Iranian dissidents, Jewish communities, and Israeli diplomatic missions. The regime’s activities include infiltration of universities and think tanks, illicit procurement of sensitive technologies, exploitation of religious centers, and hostage diplomacy. By embedding these efforts within its geopolitical agenda, the Islamic Republic poses direct threats not only to opposition groups in exile but also to Sweden’s national security. The study concludes that such operations are coordinated regionally and require decisive and collective countermeasures by Scandinavian states.