The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the Foxtrot Network, a Sweden-based criminal gang accused of executing attacks against Israeli interests in Europe on behalf of Iran, AFP reports.
Labeling Foxtrot as one of Sweden’s “most notorious criminal gangs,” both the US Treasury and State Departments announced sanctions on the gang’s leader, Rawa Majid.
The agencies stated that Majid had "specifically cooperated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security."
"Iran's brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime's attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The sanctions, typically including asset freezes and entry bans into the US, align with the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, which was reinstated under President Donald Trump, the agencies said.
Sweden’s intelligence agency Sapo revealed last May that Iran had recruited Swedish gang members to carry out “acts of violence” targeting Israeli and other interests in the country.
That announcement followed reports of nighttime gunfire outside Israel’s embassy in Stockholm. Just three months earlier, police discovered a live grenade on the Israeli compound’s premises.
At the time, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported that both Majid’s Foxtrot gang and its rival Rumba had been recruited by the Iranian regime. The report, citing documents from the Mossad, claimed that Majid—known as the "Kurdish Fox"—had been arrested in Iran and given an ultimatum: cooperate with the regime or face imprisonment.
In October, gunfire struck the Israeli embassy, and the following day, two explosions occurred near the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen. Danish police later arrested Swedish nationals in connection with the suspected grenade attack.