World
September 24, 2024 14:37
stockholm - Iran masterminded a large-scale cyber attack urging 15,000 Swedes to seek revenge against Quran burners, aiming to sow discord and influence public opinion.
Iran has been identified as the perpetrator behind a major hack attack that targeted 15,000 Swedes with calls for vengeance against Quran desecrators, according to the Swedish public prosecutor. The purpose of this action, as stated by the prosecutor's office, was to create division within society and shape public perception.
Last year in August, 15,000 Swedish citizens unexpectedly received a message on their mobile phones urging them to "punish those who insulted the Quran by sending revenge images of these demons." The message promised the recipients a 'special reward' and claimed to be from an anonymous hacking group known as Anzu Team.
Subsequent investigation by the Swedish public prosecutor and the national security service revealed that this was a facade, and the actual culprit behind the hack attack was the Iranian state. By hijacking the SMS service of a Swedish company through the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's espionage and security service, they dispatched 15,000 messages with a single push of a button. "They possess special units tasked with carrying out unique operations abroad," stated Fredrik Hallström, operational manager at the Swedish security service, in a press release.
The objective of the SMS operation, according to the findings, was to sow discord and unrest among the Swedish population. Hallström remarked, "Foreign powers are exploiting our vulnerabilities to advance their own agendas. We observe an increasingly aggressive stance on their part. This is a trend that is likely to escalate. All segments of society need to re-evaluate their own protection measures."
The SMS hack occurred during a period when Quran burnings in Sweden incited strong reactions and violent protests in various Islamic nations. Following previous desecrations of the sacred book to Muslims, the protests peaked in the summer of 2023 after new burnings took place. Angered Muslims took to the streets in countries like Yemen, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In Iraq, they stormed the Swedish embassy. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, had previously alleged that the Swedish government was preparing for a war against the Muslim world.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer emphasized the gravity of the new information and highlighted Iran, due to its dissemination of disinformation, as one of the biggest threats to Sweden. "That a state actor, in this case Iran, is estimated by the security police to be behind an action aimed at destabilizing Sweden or increasing polarization in our country, is naturally very serious," stated the minister in a written response to the Swedish news agency TT.
The Swedish public prosecutor disclosed that the investigation has been closed as the hackers are located abroad, which hampers their prosecution or extradition. "We know who they are. Should any of them travel to Sweden, we have the ability to arrest them and revive the case," remarked chief prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist to Dagens Nyheter.