Sweden has launched an inquiry into allegations that Rouzbeh Parsi, an Iranian-Swedish Middle East scholar at a prominent thinktank, was involved in a Tehran-led influence network aimed at shaping Western policy.
Foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said on Thursday that the government has contacted the Swedish Institute of International Affairs for more information, calling the allegations “very serious.”
She warned that Iran, along with Russia and China, is conducting extensive intelligence operations in Sweden.
Parsi has denied collaborating with Tehran.
Swedish TV channel, TV4 Nyheterna, reported on January 29 that Parsi communicated with authorities in Tehran who actively sought to amplify official Iranian foreign policy talking points in Western policy circles.
The discussions, TV4 reported, aimed to shape Western perceptions of Iran during critical nuclear negotiations.
TV4 said Parsi had held meetings with Iranian diplomats, including former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, and worked alongside senior figures who were closely affiliated with the IRGC.
In 2023, a joint investigative report by Iran International and Semafor combed through thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, revealing a network of academics and think tank analysts cultivated by Iran's foreign ministry to extend Tehran's soft power.
Members of the grouping, called the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), were guided by Iran's Foreign Ministry in their public writing and media appearances. They were key voices in Western thinktanks and policy institutions helping promote Iran's stances.
Parsi, listed in the leaked emails as an IEI member, attended its inaugural meeting in May 2014 at Vienna’s Palais Coburg hotel, coinciding with international nuclear talks. Documents indicate that Iran’s foreign ministry covered the event’s costs.
While Parsi acknowledges his participation, he denies collaborating with Tehran.
“My purpose was to observe how Iranian officials reason and act in real-time,” he told TV4.
The Swedish Institute of International Affairs defended Parsi, saying it has “full confidence” in his work.
