The Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist) has warned about the growing threat of terrorism linked to Iran. Mr De Wever’s comments come following an explosion outside a synagogue in the Walloon city of Liège earlier this week.
The blast happened at around 4am on Monday. Security footage reportedly shows a masked man placing a burning object at the entrance before walking away moments before it exploded. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the incident as a possible terrorist attack.
Speaking in the Federal Parliament on Thursday afternoon, Mr De Wever said that several European countries have raised concerns about “terror cells directed from Iran”. The Federal PM stressed that Belgian authorities remain alert and are ready to act if necessary.
The investigation into the attack is being led by the Federal Prosecutor, who is analysing a video believed to have links to a jihadist organisation. Officials are also examining whether the attack could be linked to Iran.
Mr De Wever’s warning comes amid wider fears that the conflict involving Iran and Israel could trigger more extremist activity in Europe.
Different types of threat
Security experts say there are different types of threat. Some attacks may be carried out by “lone wolf” individuals acting alone that are driven by anger or revenge. Other attacks could involve organised networks or “state-directed” operations linked to foreign governments.
The Flemish Peace Institute’s Annelies Pauwels told VRT News that networks like these should be seen as “an additional layer of possible threat”. In some cases, people that are already living in Europe could be contacted and encouraged to carry out attacks.
Recently police arrested two people of Iranian descent in the Limburg town of Sint-Truiden after they allegedly threatened to carry out an attack. Detectives say it is still too early to determine whether they were part of a larger network.
Concerns about Iranian-linked operations are not new. In 2018, Belgian authorities stopped a plot to bomb a meeting of Iranian opposition groups near the French capital Paris. The suspects were later convicted, along with an Iranian diplomat accused of organising the plan.
Calls for better protection of the Jewish community
Some politicians in Belgium are debating whether better protection is needed for the country’s Jewish communities. The Francophone liberal leader Georges-Louis Bouchez has called for a national coordinator to fight antisemitism.
His party colleague, the Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, has proposed deploying soldiers to guard sensitive locations in major cities.