Sweden Claims Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Sent Revenge Texts Over Quran Burnings

Swedish authorities accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday of orchestrating a cyber attack that sent thousands of inflammatory text messages across Sweden, calling for revenge over the 2023 Quran burnings. The accusations come after a preliminary investigation by Sweden’s SAPO domestic security agency, which linked the data breach to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist, around 15,000 messages were sent in Swedish, calling for retaliation against those involved in public burnings of Islam’s holy book. The messages were allegedly sent by a group identifying as the “Anzu team.” A Swedish company that operates a major SMS service was targeted in the data breach, though officials did not disclose its name.

“There is evidence that the Iranian state, via the IRGC, carried out a data breach at a Swedish company,” Ljungqvist stated. He added that although the investigation has been closed, it could be reopened if new evidence emerges.

Swedish broadcaster SVT published one of the messages, which referred to Swedes as “demons” and demanded that “those who desecrated the Quran must have their work covered in ashes.” The burnings, held under Sweden’s constitutionally protected freedom of speech act, were condemned by both domestic and international voices, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who called the incidents “dangerous” and a source of “hatred.”