This is how Tehran works to divide democracies and fuel anti-Semitism

At the annual conference of the British Greens, where the declaration “Zionism is racism” was adopted, Animah Kosai, head of the “Global Majority Greens” pressure group, wrote: “You would be surprised to see how Iran, following Islamic precepts, is far more liberal on issues of trans identity and abortion than Texas and the UK.” This statement is notable given that homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran. Palestine Action, the group designated as a terrorist organisation in the UK and which has just cost Irish writer Sally Rooney sales of her novels, is accused by Downing Street of having links with Iran. It was to Iran that Bushra Shaikh travelled – an influencer and British TV personality originally from Surrey, owner of a luxury clothing brand and a contestant on the programme The Apprentice – who took part in two trips organised by IRIB World Service, the international division of Iran’s state television.

Three British examples of what a report published on Wednesday by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre calls "The War on Western Minds: Iran’s 30-Year Campaign to Divide the West". The Islamic Republic has exploited anti-Semitism in its ‘soft war’ against the West to spread anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric. Unable to match American military power, Iran has focused on undermining Western social cohesion and trust in democratic institutions. Similar methods were first developed in the Soviet Union.

The conclusions of the Wiesenthal report offer a new perspective on how anti-Semitism should be understood. Not merely as prejudice or hate speech, but as a tool in the hands of regimes and a means that Iran has exploited to unite ideological movements which, on almost every other issue, hold opposing views.

At conferences organised by Tehran, American extremists from both the left and the right found themselves in the same rooms: white nationalists alongside black nationalists, Holocaust deniers alongside anti-war progressives. All are united by a shared hostility toward Jews, Israel, and the United States. A central element of this network is the ‘New Horizon Conference’, designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as a platform used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to recruit, gather intelligence, and build a network of influencers dedicated to disinformation.

The report cites numerous examples, ranging from the Russian political philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, who works with Tehran, to the World Friendship Tour organised by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. It also mentions when Tehran hosted the preparatory meeting for the United Nations World Conference against Racism in 2001. The declaration accused Israel of committing “a new form of apartheid, a crime against humanity, a form of genocide and a serious threat to international peace and security”. In short, the entire ideological lexicon currently in vogue.

Iran has launched Press TV to reach Western audiences (by employing well-known figures such as Jeremy Corbyn) and HispanTV, for the 600 million Spanish-speaking viewers. The Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought, based in the UK, is cited as another platform.

Over the past year, the Wiesenthal Centre has identified 340 influencers, media outlets, organisations and affiliated entities which, according to the centre, form a network of influence with shared amplification channels and consistent information flows. The list also includes Jewish Voice for Peace, a shadowy anti-Israeli Jewish organisation. Many Americans, including Calla Walsh and Jennifer Koonings, appear in videos and photos shared by Iran.

The document entitled “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s infiltration of France” was drafted by the think tank France2050 and presented to the French Parliament and the Ministry of the Interior. The report states that Iran is pursuing two main objectives: to exert pressure on France regarding the Iranian nuclear issue and Israel, and to bring about “chaos without war” at the heart of democracies. The Iranian embassy in Paris is actively recruiting journalists, academics and students who can act as propaganda tools for the Iranian regime.

According to the document, the person responsible for creating this network of influence is Ali Reza Khalili, deputy head of the Iranian embassy. Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls refers to “Houellebecq-esque scenarios”.

Iranian exile Maral Salmassi of the Berlin-based Zera Institute, which campaigns against extremism and anti-Semitism, warned the West on X this week: “In Iran, it took two years to descend into complete chaos. We saw the same symbols, the same flags and heard exactly the same slogans. Get ready.” Meanwhile, in France, there is a new slogan for the student protests, echoed by Greta Thunberg: “Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres”.