A group claiming responsibility for a wave of antisemitic attacks across Europe announced it plans to expand its targets to include “U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide.” The statement came after security cameras caught three individuals setting fire to ambulances belonging to a global Jewish medical organization in London. As first highlighted by CBS News, the group identified itself as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a name that translates to “The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous.”
Hours after the London incident, the group claimed a second attack in which a car was torched in a Jewish neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium. A representative stated late Monday that attacks would continue “until we’ve avenged every child in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and the resistance nations,” and urged people to avoid “Zionist and American interests and individuals.”
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia first emerged in early March, shortly after the US and Israel began the ongoing war on Iran. Its Telegram channel, used to distribute propaganda videos, was created only last week.
Experts are not convinced this group is what it presents itself to be
Analysts remain uncertain about who is actually behind the group. Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism, described it as appearing less like a grassroots European cell and more like an “astroturfed terror brand” that plugged suddenly into an existing Iran-aligned network to conduct low-cost, high-visibility operations. Analysts have noted a broader pattern of Iran-linked disinformation operations in Europe, including claims around a disputed missile incident at Diego Garcia that NATO declined to support.
Sharon Adarlo, a conflict analyst with Militant Wire, believes the perpetrators “appear to be volunteer or paid recruits solicited by pro-Iran elements.” She expects more attacks and potential copycat actions, warning that as the war continues, “attacks will be bigger.”
Neil Basu, former head of UK Counterterrorism Policing, said proxy attacks are “incredibly useful” for state sponsors because they cause disruption while providing plausible deniability. “It doesn’t matter that it’s amateurish” if an attack “sows a bit of chaos and does divert resources into trying to protect places,” he said. Basu also cautioned against immediately concluding that the London arson was directly state-sponsored by Iran.
The US State Department has urged Americans worldwide to “exercise increased caution,” noting that pro-Iran groups may target US interests globally. London’s Metropolitan Police announced Wednesday that two men, aged 45 and 47, were arrested in connection with the ambulance attack on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, with searches ongoing at two residences.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the arson as “horrifying” and pledged to “fight the poison that is antisemitism,” amid ongoing diplomatic friction with Washington that has spilled into tensions over the Iran conflict, a subject that has drawn scrutiny at the highest levels between London and the White House. In Belgium, around 100 military personnel were deployed under “Operation Green Shield” beginning Monday to protect Jewish schools, synagogues in Brussels and Antwerp, and the Israeli Embassy.
Published: Mar 25, 2026 06:15 am