US citizens in Sweden warned of risk of Iranian attacks
Advertisement
The US embassy in Stockholm is advising US citizens in Sweden to "exercise increased caution and maintain awareness of their surroundings", particularly near the embassy, after Swedish investigative news show Uppdrag granskning reported that Iran is putting pressure on local criminal gangs, including the Foxtrot Network, to carry out attacks in Sweden against US and Israeli interests.
In a statement on its website, the embassy urges US citizens to monitor local media for updates, avoid crowds and demonstrations, keep a low profile, be aware of their surroundings, review their personal security plans and be cautious in the vicinity of the embassy building.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, there have been several incidents apparently targeting Israeli interests in Sweden.
The Swedish intelligence agency, Säpo, has previously said that Iran is recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to commit "acts of violence" against Israeli and other interests in Sweden – a claim Iran has denied.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Sweden
4 hours ago
- Local Sweden
Sweden's migration rules 'not really in favour of those with high education'
This week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers features an interview with Samaneh Khaef, a migration expert at Stockholm University. Advertisement In this week's episode our Nordic editor Richard Orange interviews Samaneh Khaef, a researcher and migration studies expert at Stockholm university. Richard wrote an article this week looking at studies showing that immigrants in Sweden with high levels of educational attainment are more likely to leave the country. "The changing and insecure migration policies in Sweden make many educated foreigners uncertain about their future here," she said. "Many are considering moving to other countries with more stable migration rules, where they can plan for permanent residence without the constant worry of being forced to leave due to shifting policies, which many perceive as unwelcoming toward educated immigrants." In the podcast conversation, Samaneh Khaef also speaks about research on onward migration and her own experiences as an Iranian in Sweden. Tune in to find out more about her view on why many university-educated immigrants leave Sweden. Membership+ subscribers can listen to the interview in the latest episode of Sweden in Focus Extra. READ ALSO: Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers. Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription on a podcast platform. If you prefer to listen on the site, you can find all episodes at the bottom of our podcast page.
Local Sweden
4 hours ago
- Local Sweden
Centre Party calls for Sweden to bring in a tourist tax
Centre Party business spokesperson Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist has called for municipalities in Sweden to be allowed to impose an additional tourist tax to compensate for the burden of tourism on infrastructure and municipal finances. Advertisement Thand Ringqvist, who in 2023 was one of the contenders to lead the party, said that following Norway's example and allowing municipalities to charge visitors a fee would increase local acceptance for tourism. "About 60 percent of each tourist krona goes to the state. We have one of the world's most centralised tax systems," she said in a debate on Swedish public broadcaster SVT with financial markets minister Niklas Wykman. "So that's why it's important to find different ways to make sure municipalities get something back back. A municipal fee that municipalities can decide themsleves together with local businesses can do that." Norway's parliament in June agreed to allow muncipalities to levy a 3 percent tax on hotel, Airbnb and hostel stays, and also to levy a tax on visiting cruise ships, after areas like the Lofoten islands and most popular fjords have been overrun by excessive numbers of tourists. In the debate, Wykman likened a tourist tax to a tax on alcohol or tobacco, saying the only reason to bring in such a tax would be if you wanted to reduce the number of tourists, which no municipality in Sweden would really want to do. But Thand Ringqvist countered that this reflected the Stockholm-based perspective of the finance ministry. Advertisement "I see this from [visiting] the gravel roads in the Jämtland mountains and from Öland and I hear what local people are saying," Thand Ringqvist. "The minister sees it from the finance ministry, and there it's hard to see the piles or rubbish, or the parking chaos, or the traffic jams people experience locally." "A municipality would never want to scare away tourists, this is about winning the support of local people and reducing the opposition to tourism in some places."
Local Sweden
a day ago
- Local Sweden
BREAKING: Shooting reported outside mosque in Sweden
An unknown assailant opened fire at a person as he left Friday prayers at a mosque in Örebro, Sweden, on Friday, a witness has told Swedish television, with police confirming reports of gunshots. Advertisement The witness told the broadcaster that the assailant pumped a barrage of shots into his victim as he left the mosque in Boglundsängen, to the west of the city, with the target left lying injured on the ground. The perpetrator is still at large. "He was on his way out of the mosque, then another man came up and fired off four or five shots. Then he fired off more shots as he was lying on the slope," the witness told Sweden's public broadcaster SVT. The local police said in a press statement at 2.35pm that they were investigating the shooting as an attempted murder, but said they could not yet comment on how seriously injured the two victims were. Mazen Muwaffak, the treasurer of the Örebro mosque, confirmed that two people had been injured. Advertisement "It happened right after Friday prayers," he told the Expressen newspaper. "We don't yet know if it was directed against the person or against the mosque." Gabriel Henning, from the local Bergslagen police said that officers were now trying to track down the attacker. "That is part of the job, the other job is to secure the area and talk to the witnesses," he told the Expressen newspaper. On February 4th, Örebro was the site of one of Sweden's worst-ever school shootings, when Rickard Andersson launched an attack at the Campus Risbergska adult education college. Andersson shot dead ten victims and injured six others before turning his gun on himself. More to come...
