Belgium Directly Links Iran to Attacks on Jewish Targets in Europe

Belgium's top security official has directly linked Iran to two attacks targeting Jewish sites in the country earlier this year, marking the most explicit accusation by a Belgian authority to date. Geertrui Vercaeren, head of Belgium's Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA), stated with certainty that the perpetrators of the attacks were responding to calls from Iran to strike Jewish targets globally.

The first incident occurred on March 9, when a bomb exploded outside a historic synagogue in Liege, causing damage but no injuries. Belgian officials immediately deemed the event antisemitic, and a federal investigation for suspected terrorism was launched. Shortly after, a car was set on fire in the Jewish quarter of Antwerp. Vercaeren believes these incidents are part of a broader pattern of attacks instigated by calls to target Jewish sites outside Iran.

European security services have been investigating an anonymous group, "Harakat Azzabab al-Yamin al-Islami," which claimed responsibility on social media for several attacks on Jewish and Western targets. This group has also been linked to incidents in the Netherlands in March, including attacks and attempted attacks on synagogues. Dutch authorities investigated an attack on a Rotterdam synagogue and arrested suspects in Amsterdam for planning an explosion or arson motivated by terrorism, though they have not officially linked Iran to these specific cells.

The incidents have led to heightened security measures, including Belgium's "Green Shield" operation, deploying soldiers to protect Jewish institutions in Brussels and Antwerp. The threat level in Belgium remains at "severe" (level 3 out of 4), with Belgian authorities citing ongoing tensions with Iran and the spillover of Middle Eastern conflicts into Europe as key factors. They are particularly concerned about Iran using proxies, local cells, or remote operators to carry out attacks while maintaining distance from the actual perpetrators.

While most European public statements have been cautious about directly implicating Iran, Belgium's new assertion signifies a significant escalation in attributing responsibility. Although some of the intelligence remains classified, the Belgian conclusion reinforces suspicions that Tehran is using local networks and intermediaries to exert pressure and conduct terror operations far from its borders. The investigations are now focusing not only on the immediate perpetrators but also on who recruited, directed, funded, or encouraged them, indicating a wider pattern of attempts to harm sensitive targets across various European countries.