Swedish prosecutors have accused Iranian intelligence of carrying out a cyber attack on an unidentified SMS operator, sending around 15,000 messages calling for revenge against protesters who burned copies of the Qur’an in 2023. The aim of the attack, according to authorities, was to create division within Swedish society.
Officials from Sweden’s security service, SäPO, revealed that the attack was orchestrated by a hacker group acting on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran allegedly sought to portray Sweden as an Islamophobic state through these actions.
The Swedish Ministry of Justice has declared that foreign countries will not be allowed to interfere in internal Swedish affairs. The department emphasized that any state-sponsored efforts to destabilize the country and fuel polarization represent a grave threat.
Media reports from August 1, 2023, detailed a wave of threats sent to individuals who participated in protests involving the burning of Muslim holy books. The investigation by prosecutors linked the operation to a group named Anzu Team, but the case was closed due to limited possibilities for holding the perpetrators accountable. The prosecutor’s office highlighted the challenges of pursuing legal action against individuals acting on behalf of foreign states, such as Iran, with extradition being unfeasible.
Relations between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries have deteriorated following summer protests. In July 2023, Iraqi demonstrators attacked the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice, eventually setting the building on fire during the second assault.
Subsequently, Säpo raised the terrorist threat level to 4 out of 5 points, identifying Sweden as a high-priority target. The Swedish government, while condemning the desecration of the Qur’an, reaffirmed the country’s constitutionally protected rights to freedom of speech and assembly.
In February 2023, Anonymous Sudan conducted a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Sweden’s IT infrastructure, causing disruptions to various government websites. The group also claimed responsibility for a recent cyber attack on Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), leading to the unavailability of the company’s website and mobile app, as well as the compromise of customer data.
The hackers behind these attacks have cited the burning of the Qur’an during Stockholm demonstrations in January 2023 as their motive. They have threatened to continue launching cyber attacks unless the Swedish government issues an apology.