Iranian operatives are recruiting minors across Europe to attack Jewish and Israeli targets, according to a bombshell Bloomberg investigation that has alarmed security services across the continent.
The report details multiple incidents involving teenagers aged 13-16, including:
- A 15-year-old in Stockholm arrested approaching the Israeli embassy with a loaded gun
- A 13-year-old who shot at Elbit Systems offices in Gothenburg
- A cell of 14-year-olds planning to attack the Israeli embassy in Brussels
"Most are recruited for money and often don't understand they're working for a foreign state," says Peter Nesser of Norway's Security Research Institute. Payments vary dramatically: €1,500 for assassination attempts, while firebomb attacks fetch as little as €120.
Recruiters target vulnerable youth through Telegram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, exploiting Scandinavia's particular vulnerabilities: high immigrant populations, limited policing, and open social structures.
The trend has heightened political tensions, especially in Sweden and Norway, where youth violence has boosted far-right parties. Sweden has begun opening youth prisons, while Norway debates lowering the criminal responsibility age to 15.
European security officials warn that as Iran faces military pressure in the Middle East, it may increasingly turn to these proxy attacks to destabilize Europe while maintaining deniability.
Channel 14 contributed to this article.
