Iran behind two assassinations in the Netherlands, Dutch ministers claim
- Foreign Minister Stef Blok said country had ‘strong indications’ Tehran was behind killings of two Dutch nationals of Iranian origin in 2015 and 2017
The Netherlands accused Iran on Tuesday of involvement in the murder of two dissidents on Dutch soil, adding that the EU was hitting Tehran with sanctions partly because of the killings.
The Dutch secret service “has strong indications that Iran was involved in the assassinations of two Dutch nationals of Iranian origin in Almere 2015 and in The Hague in 2017”, Foreign Minister Stef Blok said in a letter to parliament. “These individuals were opponents of the Iranian regime.”
The letter was also signed by Dutch Interior Minister Kajsa Ollongren.
“The Netherlands considers it probable that Iran had a hand in the preparation or commissioning of assassinations and attacks on EU territory,” the ministers said.
They added that the EU had on Tuesday “partly at the recommendation of the Netherlands” agreed to impose fresh sanctions on Iran.