US, allies accuse Iran of 'overseas killings'

WASHINGTON:

The United States and more than a dozen of its allies on Thursday accused Iran of attempting to kill or kidnap people in Western countries, including dissidents, journalists and officials.

"We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty," the countries said in a joint statement.

"These services are increasingly collaborating with international criminal organizations to target journalists, dissidents, Jewish citizens, and current and former officials in Europe and North America. This is unacceptable," the statement said.

A UK parliamentary committee earlier this month blamed Iran for at least 15 attempts to kill or kidnap British-based individuals since 2022.

Dutch intelligence meanwhile accused Tehran of staging a 2024 assassination attempt on an Iranian living in that country. The plot was thwarted when police intervened and arrested two suspects