Sweden Expels Iranian Diplomat Over Security Threats

Sweden's Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's ambassador on September 16 and demanded that an Iranian embassy staffer leave the country. Stockholm stated the diplomat's activities were "incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," without revealing the individual's name or specific actions. However, Swedish Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer provided more context, stating that Iranian authorities have "for a long time been conducting activities that pose a threat to security in Sweden and against Sweden." He elaborated that these activities target opponents of the Iranian regime as well as "various Jewish and Israeli interests" within Sweden, and that Tehran utilizes criminal networks for these purposes. Sweden's Security Service (Säpo) corroborated this, with spokesperson Jonathan Svensson telling SVT that Iran continues to engage in activities threatening Swedish security, attempting to use criminal groups as proxies for violent actions. Svensson declined to share intelligence leading to the expulsion.

This is not the first time Sweden has raised concerns about Iran's activities. In 2024, Säpo accused Iran of using local criminal groups to organize "acts of violence" against Israeli and other targets in Sweden, accusations Tehran denied. The previous year, Swedish authorities reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hacked an SMS service provider, sending approximately 15,000 messages calling for revenge over public Quran burnings in Sweden.

In response, Iran announced on September 17 a reciprocal expulsion of a Swedish diplomat. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Sweden's ambassador to Tehran, lodging a protest and demanding a Swedish embassy staffer depart. Reuters reported that Tehran called Stockholm's decision "unfounded." Iran's Foreign Ministry also protested Sweden's policies towards Tehran, citing "offensive rhetoric regarding Iran" and Sweden providing a platform for "anti-Iranian terrorist elements and groups."