Israel is reported to be keeping 30 embassies closed due to fears of Iranian revenge attacks. Today the news came that the embassy in Stockholm was closed.
Iran blames Israel for the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this week and has promised a response. Something which, according to several assessors, is highly likely.
– The big question is how they will take revenge and where in the world it will take place, says Anders Persson.
Pressed – for several different reasons
He tells us that Israel is under pressure for various reasons and that they have therefore taken a high level of preparedness for an Iranian revenge attack.
– This does not only apply to Israel, but we also see it around the world against Israeli targets in the form of diplomatic missions. I can imagine that various Jewish institutions around the world also have increased security today, he says.
That they see a particular threat to Sweden and therefore close the embassy in Stockholm is also not surprising, according to Anders Persson.
– The fact that Sweden has had various types of political quarrels with Iran since before could guarantee that Sweden is more exposed than other countries.
He believes there are four reasons for the closure. Partly, that suspected terrorists with connections to Sweden have previously been arrested in other countries since the war in Gaza broke out.
– Since the fact that Israel has previously warned that the embassy in Stockholm could become a target and that it was already attacked some time ago when a hand grenade was thrown into the embassy area.
He also raises previously infected conflicts with Iran as a fourth reason.
– Various types of problematic relations with Iran that might make Sweden a bigger target than other countries in Western Europe.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Uttest seriousness”
So far, no official explanation has been given for the decision. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes in a comment that they do not comment on security aspects concerning individual missions and adds that the police authority is primarily responsible for the security of foreign missions.
“Sweden takes its commitments under the Vienna Convention to protect foreign embassies very seriously,” they write.