Iran responded to last year’s Koran burnings in Sweden with a large-scale hack of a messaging service, Swedish authorities said on Tuesday.
Iranian hackers have taken over a major text-messaging service owned by a Swedish company and sent out about 15,000 messages in Swedish calling for “revenge” for the burning of Islam’s holy book, the Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office said.
Senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said the operation was carried out by Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several of the hackers had been identified by the Swedish Security Service, he said.
The aim of the operation was to influence public opinion and sow division in Swedish society, Ljungqvist said.
Since the perpetrators acted on behalf of a foreign power, he does not expect criminal prosecution.
Iran did not immediately respond to the allegations.
In the summer of 2023, several people in Sweden set fire to the Koran. The series of burnings led to violent protests in several countries and damaged the country’s image abroad.
The backlash came as Stockholm was negotiating accession to the NATO defense alliance. The arson attacks contributed to NATO member Turkey blocking Swedish approval for months.
