France, Germany and other Western allies warn of growing Iranian intelligence plots

France, Germany and other NATO allies, as well as Austria, are accusing Iran of a growing number of intelligence threats, including a surge in kidnapping and assassination plots, across Europe and North America.

“We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty,” the joint statement released on Thursday said.

“These services are increasingly collaborating with international criminal organizations to target journalists, dissidents, Jewish citizens, and current and former officials in Europe and North America," it noted.

France, Germany, the US, the UK, and other NATO allies, including Albania, Belgium, Britain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden signed the statement.

Non-NATO member Austria, home to the UN nuclear watchdog headquarters, also signed.

While the statement did not point to a specific incident, the signatures called on Iran “to immediately put an end to such illegal activities in (their) respective territories.”

The US and the UK have previously warned of Tehran-backed plots on their soil. Just last month, the UK Intelligence Committee reported 15 murder and kidnap attempts against its citizens and residents between January 2022 and August 2023.

Iran's embassy in London had denied the allegations, calling them "unfounded, politically motivated and hostile."

"Such accusations are not only defamatory but also dangerous, fuelling unnecessary tensions and undermining diplomatic norms," the embassy said in a statement.