We are pleased to present the 17th issue of 2026 of John Lukacs Analyses in Strategic and Defense Studies titled "Terrorist activity linked to Iran in Europe since the 2026 US–Israeli war against Iran"
- The number of terrorist acts with Iranian links, support or organisation has increased significantly since the beginning of the 2026 Iran war. These were carried out in the name of a new group, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous (Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, HAYI), previously unknown to authorities.
- The primary target area for the attacks has been Western Europe, specifically the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium.
- The primary targets of the attacks in Western Europe were local Jewish communities, with American interests as secondary targets, though Iranian opposition media outlets had also been hit.
- Eastern Europe was not spared from the series of Iranian attacks either, with one attack also taking place in North Macedonia.
- According to current European and American sources, Iranian proxy groups operating in Iraq (primarily Kataib Hezbollah) are behind the attacks. These organised criminal networks carried out the attacks with the help of operatives recruited online, and the attacks were motivated by financial rather than ideological reasons.
You can read the full paper on the John Lukacs Institute website.
Author: János Kemény