A European criminal organization with direct ties to the Iranian regime is systematically recruiting teenagers to carry out contract murders, including attacks targeting Israeli and Jewish civilians across the continent, according to a BBC investigation. The Foxtrot Network is believed responsible for approximately 35 murders and multiple attacks and attempted attacks against Israeli targets in Europe since 2022.
According to the BBC report, the group routinely recruits teenagers by offering payment for violent acts. However, many recruits are arrested during or after attempts, allowing the organization to avoid compensation.
Last week, Norwegian teenager Johannes Natland, 19, was convicted in Britain of conspiracy to commit murder after being recruited by the network. According to prosecutors, Natland was arrested in March 2025 in a Huddersfield hotel room with two firearms and ammunition. He had been recruited after someone using the name "Agent 47" arranged a contract killing with €25,000 ($28,500) available.
Swedish investigative journalist Diamant Salihu, who has researched Foxtrot extensively, told the BBC that the group deliberately targets younger teenagers because they are less likely to consider consequences and more willing to take risks. According to Salihu, Foxtrot leader Rawa Majid is based in Tehran and operates under a deal with the Iranian regime allowing him to live freely in Iran on the condition that he and his network work for the state.
Salihu stated that Iran uses Foxtrot as a tool against multiple categories of targets: dissidents, journalists, and Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe.
The international response has included sanctions from two Western nations. The United Kingdom sanctioned Foxtrot and Majid in April 2025, specifically accusing the group of targeting Jewish and Israeli targets across Europe on behalf of Iran. The United States also sanctioned the organization in March 2025, accusing it of drug trafficking and attacks against Israelis and Jews.
Iran has categorically rejected all allegations, denying any connection to Foxtrot or responsibility for the organization's activities.
The BBC investigation underscores a systematic threat to European Jewish and Israeli communities, revealing how a state actor is instrumentalizing criminal networks and minors to conduct what amounts to asymmetric warfare against civilian targets across the continent.
The Natland conviction represents one of the few successful prosecutions of a Foxtrot operative, but investigators suggest the network's recruitment pipeline remains active.
