Focused on London: How Iran’s Agents Attacked European Targets
Synagogue attack in London
A 17-year-old climbed over a wall and threw a bomb through a broken window at a London synagogue in April, according to U.S. prosecutors. They say Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi linked to Iranian criminal networks, watched on a video call and urged the teenager to set the building alight.
The indictment says al-Hassani’s computer showed a message that the teenager’s microphone was muted. Prosecutors described the arson as one part of a broader campaign targeting Jewish institutions and other sites in Europe.
Planning after war began
Within days of the U.S.-Israel war in Iran starting, al-Hassani and at least two associates began planning attacks in Europe, prosecutors said. One associate was an operative for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The men discussed obtaining drones and missiles through contacts in Iran and studied a map of London. One said they should “get focused” on the British capital, according to prosecutors.
Targets and alleged strategy
The indictment, filed in New York this week, provides details about attacks on Jewish sites and U.S. targets, including a British air base used by American bombers. Prosecutors attribute the assaults to Iran’s agents.
The article says Iran has used small-time criminals to carry out low-cost attacks against vulnerable targets in everyday settings. This approach, investigators say, can impose costs on adversaries without prompting a major military response.
Key points
- Prosecutors say a 17-year-old attacked a London synagogue in April while al-Hassani watched by video call.
- The New York indictment describes plans involving an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operative.
- The alleged targets included Jewish sites and a British air base used by American bombers.
- Investigators say Iran used criminal networks to mount low-cost assaults.