Sir Ken McCallum, director general of the British intelligence service MI5, in London, April 1, 2025. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Though the sounds of missile strikes between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition have faded, Western intelligence agencies remain worried about another front of the conflict raging since March: covert attacks orchestrated by the regime in Tehran on European soil. Europe has long feared the repercussions from this conflict in the form of an "asymmetric response" from Iran, including espionage, sabotage and interference operations.
In the spring, French authorities described the threat as "low intensity." Since then, however, the attacks appear to have worsened. On October 12, no fewer than 32 countries – including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the Netherlands – issued a joint statement to "condemn in the strongest terms Iran's use of violent attacks, including the acts of lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyber-attacks, and other hybrid activities against us and our partners."
The statement came after the British government attributed an incident that occurred on September 27 near the Royal Air Force base in Fairford, UK – which was hosting US military aircraft involved in the war against Iran – to Iranian intelligence or networks operating on their behalf. You have 84.44% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Le Monde states in its own voice that the Iranian government orchestrated covert attacks on European soil, when the article itself and the outlet's earlier reporting show these are government attributions that Tehran has rejected. It also calls Iran's government "the regime" in its own narration.
States one side's claim as fact
Serious
“covert attacks orchestrated by the regime in Tehran on European soil”
Why this matters
Le Monde writes "covert attacks orchestrated by the regime in Tehran" in its own voice, with no attribution to any government or agency.
The impression it gives
A reader takes it as established that Iran's government directed attacks in Europe.
The context
This is an accusation by Western governments. S7 itself says only that the British government "attributed" the Fairford incident to Iran, and S5 hedges that the attacks "appear" to have worsened. Le Monde's own earlier report gives Britain's wording as "highly likely" and "almost certainly", says Tehran rejected the claim, and says all seven suspects arrested were released on bail.
How we know
Elsewhere in the article“the British government attributed an incident”
Elsewhere in the article“the attacks appear to have worsened”
Western intelligence agencies remain worried about what European governments say are covert attacks directed by Iran on European soil, an accusation Tehran has rejected.
Uses a loaded word
Minor
“the regime in Tehran”
Why this matters
Le Monde calls Iran's government "the regime in Tehran" in its own narration, not in a quotation.
The impression it gives
A reader takes on a verdict on the Iranian government's legitimacy as plain description.
The context
"Regime" is a loaded term. In the outlet's own voice the neutral term is Iran's government. In its earlier report Le Monde used the word only inside a minister's quotation.