A new investigation by the France 2050 think tank reveals a coordinated, decades-long effort by the Iranian regime to infiltrate France through espionage networks, political influence operations, and criminal proxies.
The 85-page report, submitted to senior French institutions, describes Tehran’s strategy as a deliberate “mechanics of chaos” designed to weaken Western democracies — with Jewish communities and pro-Israel voices among Iran’s primary targets.
According to the report, Iran’s operations are not improvisations but stem directly from its constitution, which mandates exporting the Islamic Revolution and promoting global jihad. The IRGC and its Quds Force have served as the regime’s ideological and operational spearheads in Europe for nearly fifty years.
Investigators say Iran’s Paris embassy functions as a central hub for recruitment and influence. In 2025, embassy officials reportedly held ideological screening sessions with student leaders from top French universities. Tehran targets academics, journalists, and intellectuals who hold anti-Israel or anti-Western views, while longstanding student networks — active since the 1980s — have helped cultivate sympathizers through scholarships and subsidized travel to Iran.
