Swedish, Iranian ministers discuss Iranian assassination plot against Jews

Swedish Defense Minister Tobias Billström spoke with his Iranian counterpart on a suspected plot orchestrated by Iranian agents against Jewish Swedes, according to a local media report from Thursday.

The issue of an imprisoned Swedish national, Johan Floderus, was also reportedly discussed.

"It is very serious that Iranian agents on Swedish territory have tried to murder Swedish citizens," Billström told Sverige Radio.  

Billström confirmed that the Swedish government was taking the issue very seriously and that the attempted assassination of Swedes, particularly Swedish Jews, on Swedish soil was unacceptable.

The plot against Jews in Sweden

A pair of Iranian agents were detained in Stockholm on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reported at the time. The duo had been suspected of planning an attack against Jews.

Both would-be attackers had been identified as linked to Iran’s military intelligence and had reportedly also been arrested in 2021.

The pair had been targetting Aron Verständig, the chairman of Sweden’s Jewish Central Council, and two others.

The plot came amid a growing escalation since Hamas launched its October 7 attack against Israel. In light of the escalated global threat, the Netherlands announced on Thursday that they would be installing extra security at the Israeli embassy.

On January 31, an explosive device had been found outside the Israeli embassy in Sweden. 

Joanie Margulies contributed to this report.