JERUSALEM — Iranian intelligence agencies are reportedly outsourcing terrorist operations to international criminal organizations. This includes drug cartels, biker gangs, and local criminals who act as proxies to target Jewish communities, Israeli interests, and Iranian dissidents around the world. Intelligence reports and government documents indicate that this strategy allows Tehran to maintain plausible deniability while intensifying its covert war against Israel and Jewish populations.

Recent arrests and thwarted plots across North America, Europe, and Australia illustrate how the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence are recruiting criminals to conduct surveillance, assassinations, and terror attacks. In August 2025, Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador after confirming that the IRGC had orchestrated arson attacks on Jewish institutions in Sydney and Melbourne.

Analysts have labeled this approach as “narco-terrorism,” where Iran leverages drug cartels and transnational criminal networks to fund operations and strike at adversaries while distancing itself from direct involvement. Moran Alaluf, a counterterrorism expert, stated, “What is being revealed does not reflect the full scope of Iran’s activity.” She emphasized that Iran's sophisticated methods and support from criminal organizations allow it to evade direct attribution for many actions.

Dr. Omer Dostri, who studied IRGC's criminal partnerships, noted that Iranian forces have frequently relied on crime groups from Turkey, Cyprus, and Afghanistan, as well as Mexican gangs like Los Zetas, to achieve strategic goals. His report highlighted that using organized crime provides Iran with plausible deniability, as these actions appear informal and do not prompt a direct response.

In March 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish-international crime organization involved in drug trafficking. Officials stated that this network executed attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe under Tehran's direction, including an assault on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm in January 2024. The leader of Foxtrot, Rawa Majid, coordinated directly with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and remains at large, reportedly under Iranian protection.

In Germany, a Danish citizen of Afghan descent was arrested in June 2025 for conducting surveillance on Jewish institutions in Berlin for the IRGC’s Quds Force. German authorities revealed that he was ordered to gather information on Jewish communities, potentially in preparation for future attacks. Sacha Stawski, president of the Frankfurt-based antisemitism watchdog Honestly Concerned, noted that many Jews in Germany feel compelled to hide their identities due to rising intimidation.

In Greece, authorities arrested an Iranian man along with an Afghan and a Greek national for attempting to set fire to a synagogue in Athens. A senior politician indicated that Iran has established ties with far-left groups to destabilize Greek-Israeli relations.

In the United Kingdom, MI5 reported disrupting at least 15 Iranian plots aimed at kidnapping or killing dissidents and journalists. In the United States, Iranian agents have attempted to recruit members of drug cartels for assassination missions, including a failed plot in 2011 to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Washington.

In Canada, authorities thwarted an Iranian plan to assassinate former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, a prominent critic of Tehran. Joe Adam George, a Canadian analyst, explained that local criminal gangs can be easily recruited to act on Iranian orders, complicating law enforcement efforts.

The U.S. Treasury has noted that Iran increasingly relies on organized crime to maintain plausible deniability, making it difficult to detect and attribute these activities. In July 2025, 14 Western nations, including the U.S., U.K., and Canada, condemned Iran for collaborating with criminal organizations to target journalists, dissidents, and Jewish citizens.

Iran’s strategy poses significant risks for Jewish communities, as criminal networks operate differently from traditional terror cells, complicating counterterrorism efforts. Analysts warn that many plots remain undetected, leaving Western security services at a disadvantage. Alaluf cautioned, “There are many dormant cells waiting for the green light.”