The joint Statement on Iranian State Threat Activity in Europe and North America was a diplomatic declaration issued on July 31, 2025, by 14 Western governments condemning alleged assassination, kidnapping, and harassment plots conducted by Iranian intelligence services on their territories. The statement came to highlight the surge in such activities targeting dissidents, journalists, Jewish communities, and officials. These actions were executed mainly in collaboration with international criminal networks, as violations of sovereignty and international law.
For many years there have been accusations regarding Iranian intelligence activities in other countries, often linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). According to western governments these entities were involved in surveillance of diaspora communities, launching cyberattacks, and trying to threaten or harm political opponents. [1] [2] [3] [4] Throughout the 2010s and 202s political tensions between Iran and foreign countries escalated over Iran's nuclear plan, regional proxy conflict and responses to domestic unrest in Iran and Iranian government's reactions to protests at home. These issues led to closer attention on how Iran operates outside its borders. Several alleged plots in Europe and North America were stopped, leading those countries to increase their intelligence cooperation. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The 14 countries that signed the statement are: Albania, [5] Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain,Sweden, United Kingdom, [6] United States. [7]
The statement accuses the Iranian government of targeting its diaspora abroad through surveillance, harassment, cyberattacks, and plots to kidnap or harm individuals. [4] [1] These actions are described as part of a wider pattern of repression outside Iran. The 14 governments that signed the statement to work more closely together by sharing intelligence, running joint investigations, using sanctions, and protecting people who may be at risk. [3] They also say that informing the public is important to help prevent more incidents. Western security agencies support the statement, while Iran denies the claims. After the statement was released, some countries made new arrests, issued fresh cybersecurity alerts, and debated whether parts of Iran's security forces should be labeled as terrorist groups. [7] [8]
Iran denied the accusations, while human rights groups and the media praised the countries for taking a united position. UN experts later mentioned the issue when raising wider concerns about threats against Iranian journalists living abroad. As of December 2025, no new official statement has been released. [9] [10] [2]