Netherlands probing if Rotterdam synagogue attack has Iran link, minister says
Diaspora Ministry said Sunday that new terror group, which claimed responsibility for spate of attacks across Netherlands and Belgium, is believed to have ties to Iranian networks
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AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – The Netherlands is investigating whether Iran was involved in the attack on a Rotterdam synagogue on Friday, Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel has said, adding that the suspects apprehended for the attack had most likely been recruited.
“The possibility that Iran is involved in this attack is… being explicitly investigated,” Van Weel told parliament on Tuesday, though he did not cite a conclusive link between Iran and the attack ahead of the investigation’s conclusions.
Dutch prosecutors said on Monday that the four men suspected of causing the Rotterdam synagogue explosion had done so with terrorist intent.
The four, aged 17 to 19, were apprehended shortly after an arson attack caused a fire at the synagogue early on Friday.
In the past week, several attacks have taken place in the Netherlands, including one on a Jewish school in Amsterdam. There has also been an attack on a synagogue in Liege, in neighboring Belgium.
The attacks, which caused no injuries, were all claimed on social media platform X by an extremist group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, though police are still investigating whether the group was actually behind them.
Van Weel previously said that a link between the explosions in Amsterdam and Rotterdam could not be excluded, but did not confirm any claims made on social media.
The attacks have triggered heightened security at Jewish sites in the Netherlands.
Concerns about possible attacks against Jewish communities around the world have risen following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the subsequent response from Tehran.
Israel: New terror group is believed to have ties to Iran
Van Weel’s comments came after the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, on Sunday, said the terror group that claimed responsibility for the attacks is believed to be linked with Iranian terror networks.
The organization’s apparent ability to coordinate attacks in multiple countries in a short period of time indicates that the risk of further attacks remains significant, the report said.
The name “Ashab al-Yamin” originates from Quranic terminology describing the righteous who receive their record in their right hand on Judgment Day.
Its logo depicts a raised arm holding a rifle pointed to the right with a globe behind it, a design that closely resembles the symbols used by Iran-aligned groups.
Additionally, intelligence analyses indicated that footage of the attacks in Europe was quickly distributed on Telegram channels affiliated with pro-Iranian Shiite terror networks, including channels linked to Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the report said.
Zev Stub contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.