Iran called in the Dutch ambassador on Friday to protest allegations from the Dutch intelligence service (AIVD) linking Tehran to a foiled assassination attempt.
According to AIVD’s annual report, Iran was likely behind the plot targeting an Iranian man in Haarlem last June. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp responded by summoning Iran’s ambassador, while Iran rejected the accusations as “baseless” and “unfounded” through a statement released by its state media.
The AIVD further connected one of the suspects to the attempted assassination of Spanish politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a known critic of Tehran, who survived a shooting in Madrid in 2023.
This latest incident has reignited tensions between the Netherlands and Iran, following previous accusations in 2019 that led to the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats over dissident killings.
Dutch authorities remain vigilant, especially with the upcoming NATO summit scheduled to take place in the Netherlands.
