Belgian authorities have linked two attacks targeting Jewish sites in the country to an Iranian call to strike Jewish and Israeli interests around the world, according to Gert Vercauteren, director of Belgium’s Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA).
Vercauteren said those responsible for an explosion outside a synagogue in Liège and a car fire in Antwerp’s Jewish quarter had responded to an Iranian call to attack Jewish and Israeli targets worldwide.
The first incident occurred on March 9, when an explosive device detonated outside a synagogue in Liège. No one was injured, although the blast caused damage. Belgian authorities subsequently launched a terrorism investigation. On March 23, a vehicle was deliberately set on fire in Antwerp’s Jewish quarter. Two minors were arrested in connection with the incident and were investigated on suspicion of arson and involvement with a terrorist organization.
The two incidents have been examined as part of a broader series of attacks and attempted attacks against Jewish and Israeli-linked targets across Europe. A previously unknown organization calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia has claimed responsibility for several of the incidents. The group has been described by security analysts as Iran-linked, although some direct connections to the Iranian government had remained under investigation.
Belgian authorities’ latest assessment represents a stronger attribution. Vercauteren said the perpetrators of the Liège and Antwerp attacks responded to a call originating in Iran to target Jewish and Israeli interests around the world. He also said that arrests and other security interventions had prevented additional Iran-inspired attacks.
The developments come as European security agencies continue investigating similar incidents in neighboring countries. In the Netherlands, authorities have disrupted alleged plots targeting Jewish sites, including a suspected plan involving a synagogue in Heemstede. European officials have been examining possible connections between the different cases.
Belgium’s overall terror threat level remains at 3 out of 4, classified as “serious." Vercauteren said the assessment is reviewed monthly and takes into account developments in the geopolitical situation, including the conflict involving Iran, as well as the number and nature of threat reports received by Belgian authorities.
CUTA had previously warned that the regional conflict and the mobilization of networks affiliated with Iran could create threats to Belgian and Israeli interests. The agency has said Iran has demonstrated the ability in the past to conduct operations in Europe either directly or through proxies.