Europe is facing a new wave of coordinated nocturnal attacks on civilian and religious targets. A series of incidents that have occurred over recent weeks in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom is raising serious concerns that Iran is behind them, waging a hybrid war amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
According to the Financial Times and European intelligence services, the attacks began in early March following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A previously unknown group — “Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia” (roughly translated as “Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous Path”) — has claimed responsibility for most of the incidents.
Among the most high-profile cases:
An improvised explosive device detonated near a synagogue in Liège, Belgium (9 March).
A synagogue set on fire in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Attacks on a Jewish school and a shopping centre in Amsterdam.
Four vehicles belonging to the Jewish volunteer ambulance service Hatzola set ablaze in London (23 March).
The wave has spread to other countries as well: police are investigating similar incidents in France and Greece. There have been no casualties so far, but the material damage and psychological impact are significant. European leaders are describing the events as “an attack on values and society.”
Experts from the International Centre for Counterterrorism (ICCT) and Europol note that video footage of the attacks is being disseminated through Telegram and X channels linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the “Axis of Resistance.” This is a hallmark tactic of hybrid warfare — the use of proxy groups to avoid direct accountability.
In response, European countries have stepped up security at Jewish community centres, synagogues, and Israeli institutions. Emergency meetings of EU interior ministers have already taken place in Brussels and The Hague.