Russia and Iran are intensifying efforts to incite hatred and discord across Europe, including the United Kingdom, particularly targeting Jewish and Muslim communities. According to US intelligence analysis, these operations involve 'disposable agents' and criminal networks increasingly used to destabilize UK society and continental Europe.
Disposable Agents and Virtual Currency
These acts of violence or sabotage are often financed through virtual currencies, making them extremely difficult to intercept and investigate. A report by the New York-based Soufan Centre, led by former FBI agent Ali Soufan, warns that Russia and Iran are employing intimidation, arson, sabotage, attacks on civilian communities, and threats against symbolic soft targets as key components of their hybrid tactics.
Growing Threat to the UK
Both countries are leveraging social media, artificial intelligence, and virtual currencies to pay criminals for launching attacks within the UK. A senior Western security source told the Daily Mirror: 'The view among the security community, police, and intelligence agencies is that this activity will increase. It is seriously difficult to defend against and will tie up police officers and other security resources at an increasing rate. Intelligence agencies are already working flat out against more traditional acts of terror and plots from Islamic extremism and the far right. Both Russia and Iran know this and that it is destabilising to society.'
Sanctions and Proxies
The Soufan report highlights that Russia and Iran have increasingly utilized disposable non-state actors in attacks across Europe to pursue broader state objectives while outsourcing terrorist-style activity to criminal networks. It notes the UK's recent sanctioning of nine individuals accused of financing and plotting attacks in Britain and abroad. The British Foreign Office has frozen assets and banned travel to counter Iran's use of gangs for overseas threats and illicit financing that supports its war efforts and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Targeting Jewish and Muslim Communities
The report focuses on Iran being likely behind attacks in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway against Jewish targets. However, it adds that Russia is also targeting Jewish and Muslim sites to promote disorder and unease. 'Both Iran and Russia have been credibly accused by a plethora of nations across the continent of utilizing proxy networks to sow discord,' the report states. It notes that while Iran has promoted these attacks, Russian proxy activity, including operations targeting Jewish or Muslim sites, is part of Moscow's broader hybrid toolkit to fuel existing social tensions and disrupt societal cohesion.
Strategic Cooperation
The revelations come amid growing evidence of collusion between Russia and Iran in brutal wars. Russia is now manufacturing its own Iran-designed Shahed kamikaze drones, which have been used devastatingly against Ukrainian civilians. The Kremlin is also suspected of providing intelligence to Iran to aid its conflict with the US and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In recent years, the two have become close strategic allies, with Russia being a long-term supplier of weaponry to Tehran. It is believed that Russia plans to supply unjammable drones to Iran.
Intelligence Sharing
European intelligence officials have revealed that Russian and Iranian officials are suspected of having 'very active' discussions about transferring drones from Russia to Iran. This arrangement highlights growing concerns that Iran and Russia are increasingly working together against Western interests.
