Stockholm accuses Iran of using criminals in Sweden to target Israel or Jewish interests

By JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Sweden’s domestic security agency is accusing Iran of using established criminal networks in Sweden as a proxy to target Israeli or Jewish interests in the Scandinavian country. The accusations were raised at a news conference on Thursday by Daniel Stenling, the head of the SAPO agency’s counterespionage unit, following a series of events earlier this year. In late January, the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm was sealed off after what was then described as “a dangerous object” was found at the diplomatic mission in an eastern Stockholm neighborhood. Swedish media said the object was a hand grenade. Stenling said the agency “can establish that criminal networks in Sweden are used as a proxy by Iran.”