Hussain Hazbavi 
The Hague — The Dutch government summoned Iran’s envoy on Thursday following accusations by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) that Tehran was behind an attempted assassination of an Iranian dissident in the Netherlands.
According to AIVD’s annual report, it is “highly likely” that Iran ordered the attempted killing of activist Siamak Tahmasbi in Haarlem during the summer of 2023. The report also linked Iran to the attempted assassination of former Spanish lawmaker Alejo Vidal-Quadras — a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic — in Madrid later that year, Dutch outlet Nieuwsuur reported.
“Iran employed a familiar tactic in both cases: using criminal networks to target and silence opponents of the regime,” Nieuwsuur quoted the AIVD report as saying. Authorities noted that this method complicates efforts to legally prove Tehran’s direct involvement under criminal law.
These latest revelations come amid a troubling pattern. On November 11, 2017, prominent Ahwazi Arab activist Ahmed Moulla Nissi was assassinated outside his home in The Hague, a killing widely attributed to Iran’s intelligence apparatus. Despite years passing, many view the attack on Mola as part of Tehran’s systematic campaign to eliminate opposition figures abroad.
The Dutch government has repeatedly condemned Iran’s actions, citing concerns over the safety of political dissidents and refugees residing in Europe.
