A collective declaration from the U.S., U.K., and a dozen other Western countries on Thursday condemned Iran’s attempts to “kill, kidnap and harass” foreign citizens by collaborating with criminal networks overseas.

These Western nations pointed out that Iranian intelligence agents are targeting dissidents, Jewish citizens, journalists, as well as current and former government officials, in various European and North American countries, which directly infringes upon national sovereignty.

“We are united in opposing the efforts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass individuals in Europe and North America in blatant violation of our sovereignty,” the statement endorsed by Canada, Germany, and France declared. 

Reports have long suggested that Iran has increasingly engaged in covert malign behavior to target foreign citizens.

Reuters reported that Iran was not only responsible for an assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump shortly before the 2024 election but was also linked to numerous attacks in Europe and the United States last fall.

The U.K. has also disclosed more than 20 cases since 2022 involving Iran-associated plots to kill or abduct British nationals or individuals on British soil – primarily Iranian dissidents.

Masih Alinejad greets friends and supporters outside the federal courthouse after testifying at the trial of two men accused of allegedly plotting with Iran to kill her in New York, Tuesday, March 18, 2025.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Journalists and activists have been targeted in the U.S. by Iranian murder-for-hire schemes and kidnapping plots for years, particularly in the wake of the 2022 mass protests that broke out following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed following her arrest in Iran for allegedly improperly wearing her hijab. 

Tehran has repeatedly denied its involvement in the murder-for-hire and abduction plots.