Crime

Teen Convicted in Iran-Linked UK Murder Plot

Is Iran weaponizing criminal gangs for political assassinations or are vague geopolitical links muddying true accountability?

JUL 29·Updated JUL 30

Teen Convicted in Iran-Linked UK Murder Plot

Story

Above: The Lady of Justice statue atop the Central Criminal Court in London, commonly known as the Old Bailey on Jan. 9. Image credit: Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty Images

The Facts

Johannes Natland, 19, was convicted of conspiracy to murder at London's Old Bailey following a retrial on Wednesday over a murder plot allegedly orchestrated by an Iran-linked group. A jury at his initial trial in June had failed to reach a verdict on the charge.
WTOP
Reuters
Natland flew from Stavanger to Manchester Airport on Mar. 17, 2025, on an emergency passport and was arrested two days later at a Huddersfield hotel with a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, ammunition and around 2,000 pounds ($2,672) in cash.
Stratford Herald
The i Paper
Prosecutors said Natland was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group with links to the Iranian government, and was offered 25,000 euros ($28,619) to carry out a killing. The network has been sanctioned by both the U.K. and the U.S.
Newsday
South China Morning Post
GB News
Natland was directed by a contact known as "Agent 47" and recruited through a 17-year-old known as "Generalen," who was convicted in Norway of attempting to contribute to murder. A 16-year-old is also awaiting trial in Norway for a role in the conspiracy.
WTOP
The National Newspaper
The Foxtrot Network, founded in 2021, is known for recruiting young and vulnerable individuals, including children as young as 13, to carry out drug smuggling and violent crimes. Europol has described the practice as "violence-as-a-service."
BBC News
Crown Prosecution Service
Norwegian police uncovered the U.K. plot after seizing the phone of Generalen, and alerted Interpol in Manchester after tracing Natland to Huddersfield. The U.K. government sanctioned the Foxtrot Network for involvement in violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe.
London Now
The i Paper

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

This conviction makes clear that Iran is weaponizing criminal networks to carry out murders on foreign soil. This isn't isolated — the same playbook was used in New York, where IRGC-linked operatives hired a hitman armed with an AK-47 to kill a journalist. Organized crime has become Iran's preferred tool for political violence, and Western courts are finally holding the foot soldiers accountable.

United States Department of Justice

Crown Prosecution Service

Establishment-critical narrative

Iran flatly denies any connection to the Foxtrot gang, and the U.K. hasn't produced credible evidence tying Tehran directly to the group's crimes. Labeling every criminal network with vague geopolitical links as an Iranian proxy risks muddying accountability. Blurring the line between state actors and opportunistic gangs chasing payouts serves political agendas more than justice.