Finland’s national intelligence agency has, for the first time, publicly named Iran’s regime as a foreign power engaged in hostile espionage operations on Finnish soil. The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) issued the warning amid growing concerns across Europe about Tehran’s use of criminal networks and covert operations to target dissidents abroad.
Iran Joins Russia and China as Security Threat
Until now, Supo had officially listed only Russia and China as countries conducting intelligence operations in Finland. The inclusion of Iran marks a significant escalation in the Finnish government’s view of Tehran’s activities, reflecting a broader European pattern of increased Iranian aggression.
Supo stated that Iran regime’s operations primarily focus on surveillance and intimidation of members of the Iranian diaspora—especially political dissidents who have sought refuge in Finland. These activities include collecting personal data through human intelligence methods and, in some cases, issuing threats against the targets’ family members back in Iran.
A Pattern of Transnational Repression
Intelligence researcher and historian Mikko Porvali explained that Iran regime’s behavior in Finland mirrors long-standing tactics employed across Europe. “Iranian intelligence has long practised diaspora surveillance. The purpose is to intimidate or neutralise opposition abroad,” he said in an interview with Finnish media.
Porvali emphasized that these activities are not limited to information-gathering. “Authoritarian states have shown they are prepared to use any means necessary, including potential attacks on their enemies—even on foreign soil,” he warned.
The announcement from Supo aligns with recent developments in the United Kingdom, where authorities arrested several suspects linked to an alleged plot to attack the Israeli embassy in London. Porvali noted that such high-profile counterterrorism operations may have prompted broader intelligence sharing across Europe and triggered Finland’s public statement.
Iran’s Criminal Partnerships Raise Alarm
A key element of Supo’s report is the growing use of criminal intermediaries by Iranian regime intelligence. “Iran may commission organized crime groups to carry out certain actions in Finland,” the agency stated, though it did not elaborate on specific cases. This tactic has already been documented in other European countries and includes acts of sabotage, assassination plots, and intimidation campaigns.
Neighboring Sweden has previously raised similar concerns. In its March 2025 threat assessment, the Swedish Security Police (SAPO) warned that Iran regime’s was increasingly using local gangs to suppress dissent and target opposition figures. SAPO also accused Iran of conducting surveillance through a Shiite mosque in Stockholm and attempting to acquire dual-use technologies to bypass international sanctions and bolster its weapons programs.
A Web of Attacks and Plots Across Europe
The threat posed by Iranian regime intelligence operations in Europe is not theoretical. In early 2025, UK counterterrorism police arrested seven Iranian nationals suspected of orchestrating a major terror plot. Three of them were later charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service—Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOI)—and plotting to target journalists based in the UK.
The suspects are believed to be members of Unit 840, a covert branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF). Unit 840 is reportedly tasked with executing overseas missions including kidnappings and assassinations. It has been linked to numerous clandestine operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.
The United States has also intensified its actions. On May 23, the FBI issued a wanted notice for Seyed Yahya Hosseiny Panjaki, a senior Iranian intelligence officer allegedly involved in coordinating global terror plots. Panjaki is accused of running the “Martyr Soleimani” unit within the MOI and managing the Naji Sharifi Zindashti network—a group implicated in assassination plots on U.S. soil using criminal gang proxies, including members of Canada’s Hells Angels.
According to court documents cited by the BBC on May 15, Iran’s overseas operations have increasingly relied on non-state actors and transnational crime networks. This approach allows the regime to maintain plausible deniability while continuing its campaign of targeted violence against journalists, opposition figures, and exiled dissidents.
Espionage Amid Rising Tensions
Finland has seen a general uptick in foreign intelligence activity, driven by global instability and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Supo’s annual report has previously highlighted growing interest from foreign powers in Finland’s foreign policy, defense partnerships, and critical infrastructure.
Despite diplomatic relations with Iran’s regime remaining formally intact, Porvali clarified that the primary concern is not about bilateral ties but about national security. “The concern is not about diplomacy but about the potential for foreign-sponsored violence targeting dissidents in Finland,” he said.
As Finland joins the growing list of European countries sounding the alarm over Tehran’s clandestine activities, Supo’s warning sends a clear signal: espionage, intimidation, and proxy violence by foreign actors will not go unnoticed.
