"To protect our citizens": European country expels Iranian ambassador - and gives no explanation

Sweden expelled Iran's ambassador in Stockholm, amid claims that Tehran operates criminal networks against regime opponents and Jewish and Israeli targets. The Foreign Ministry did not detail the immediate reason, but Sweden's Justice Minister said Iran is carrying out activities that threaten Sweden's security.

Sweden expelled Iran's ambassador in Stockholm on Wednesday, an unusual step for which no immediate reason was published. The Swedish Foreign Ministry, headed by Maria Malmer Stenergard, summoned the ambassador and asked a member of the Iranian embassy staff to leave the country. The official statement said the move was made due to activities inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Stenergard noted that the decision was made "to protect our citizens and other Swedish interests." Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told AFP that Iran has long been carrying out activities threatening security in Sweden, focusing on opponents of the Iranian regime and Jewish and Israeli interests, including through criminal networks. A spokesperson for the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) confirmed that Iran continues to engage in activities creating security threats, including attempts to use proxy agents to carry out attacks. The article recalls past events: in June 2024, Molotov cocktails were found outside Elbit Systems offices in Gothenburg; in October 2024, a 13-year-old opened fire at an Elbit office; in April 2025, four teenagers were sentenced for recruiting the boy; and in May 2025, shots were fired outside the Israeli embassy in Sweden.