President Trump’s administration is cracking down on a Swedish criminal gang with direct ties to Iran’s global terrorism network. New sanctions aim to disrupt Tehran’s ability to use proxies for attacks against Israeli and Western targets.
At a glance:
• The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish gang led by fugitive Rawa Majid
• The sanctions follow the gang’s attempted attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm in January 2024
• Intelligence shows Iran’s regime directed the gang to carry out the attack
• All Foxtrot Network assets and properties in the U.S. are now frozen
• The sanctions are part of Trump’s renewed “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran
Trump Administration Targets Iranian Proxy Network
The Trump administration has taken decisive action against the Foxtrot Network, a transnational criminal organization based in Sweden with direct links to Iran’s regime. His new efforts aim to disrupt Tehran’s growing use of criminal networks to attack Western and Israeli targets across Europe via proxies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions targeting both the organization and its fugitive leader, Rawa Majid. The Foxtrot Network has established itself as a violent criminal enterprise involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and contract killings throughout northern Europe.
The sanctions follow a thwarted attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm on January 31, 2024, where Swedish authorities discovered and neutralized what was described as a “dangerous object” believed to be a hand grenade. Subsequent investigations revealed the Foxtrot Network had orchestrated the attack under direct instructions from the Iranian regime.
BREAKING:
Marco Rubio announces that the U.S. introduces sanctions against Sweden's most violent gang, Foxtrot, and its leader "The Kurdish Fox."
The Islamic Regime in Iran has hired to gang to carry out shootings and grenade attacks against the Israeli embassy.
Full… pic.twitter.com/CjOVzEW4ag
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 13, 2025
Iran’s Global Criminal Network Exposed
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent highlighted the troubling nature of Iran’s operational tactics, stating, “Iran’s brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime’s attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe.”
This partnership between Tehran and criminal enterprises represents a dangerous evolution in Iran’s proxy warfare strategy.
The State Department’s announcement explicitly noted that “the Iranian regime leveraged the Foxtrot Network to carry out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe, including the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, in January 2024.” Intelligence reports indicate Majid cooperated directly with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which is already under U.S. sanctions.
The Foxtrot Network has become notorious for recruiting teenagers to carry out violent activities, contributing to rising crime rates across northern Europe. The organization has been linked to numerous shootings, assaults, and contract killings, creating a destabilizing force in Swedish communities.
US sanctions Sweden-based Kurdish gang leader over Iran-linked attacks
Rawa Majid, widely known as the Kurdish Fox, is an Iranian-born Kurdish-Swedish national wanted on multiple charges in Sweden. His group is accused of orchestrating drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and… pic.twitter.com/ncoNzh51UC
— thoughts n analysis (@thoughtsnanaly1) March 13, 2025
Maximum Pressure Campaign Intensifies
The new sanctions represent a significant component of the Trump administration’s renewed “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran. The Treasury Department’s action freezes all assets belonging to Majid and the Foxtrot Network in the United States and prohibits Americans from engaging in transactions with them.
Secretary Bessent emphasized the administration’s determination to maintain pressure on Iran’s regime, stating, “Treasury, alongside our U.S. government and international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to further Iran’s thuggish and destabilizing agenda.” The Treasury and State Department are working closely with international partners to expose and counter Iran’s use of criminal proxies.
President Trump has indicated he prefers a diplomatic solution to tensions with Iran, stating “I would rather negotiate a deal.” However, he has also warned of potential military consequences if Iran refuses to reach an agreement regarding its nuclear program, demonstrating his administration’s dual-track approach of maximum pressure alongside diplomatic opportunities.
