Sweden’s security service, Sapo, has indicated that Iran may be linked to recent explosions and gunfire near Israeli embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen earlier this week. Fredrik Hallstrom of Sapo stated that the nature of the incidents and choice of targets suggest Iran’s involvement, though he clarified this is an “assumption rather than confirmed knowledge.”
On Monday evening, gunshots were fired at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, with no reported injuries. Shortly after, two explosions occurred near the Israeli embassy in central Copenhagen early Wednesday morning.
Two Swedish teenagers, aged 16 and 19, were arrested at the Copenhagen train station later that afternoon, with one of them reportedly having purchased tickets to Amsterdam. On Thursday, they were charged with possession of hand grenades and detonating them near the Israeli embassy. Both teenagers have pleaded not guilty and are currently remanded in custody until October 30. A third Swedish national arrested near the embassy has since been released.
Danish police have not confirmed if the Israeli embassy was the intended target of the explosions, as other embassies are located close to the site of the blasts.
This incident is not the first of its kind near Israeli embassies in Nordic capitals. In January, a “dangerous object” was found outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm and was destroyed, an act the Israeli ambassador deemed an “attempted attack.” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the situation as “very serious” and promised increased surveillance around the embassy and Jewish institutions.
In May, gunfire was reported near the same embassy, leading to investigations of several teenagers, though many were later released. Following that incident, Sapo issued warnings about the Iranian government’s recruitment of Swedish gang members to commit violent acts against various groups and individuals in Sweden.
Last month, Sapo also accused Iranian intelligence of hacking into a text messaging service to send 15,000 divisive messages to Swedes, portraying Sweden as an Islamophobic country. These messages coincided with protests in which anti-Islam activists burned copies of the Islamic holy book.
Iran’s embassy in Stockholm dismissed these allegations, calling them “baseless” and detrimental to the relations between the two countries.
