How Iran pays criminal gangs to do their dirty work | If You're Listening

ABC News In-depthAbout 4 min readSep 14, 2025Watch original
THE SUMMARYAI-generated

Key Concepts

Anti-Semitism, Iran's IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), proxy attacks, criminal gangs, destabilization, disinformation, social cohesion, Kurdish Fox (Rawa Majid), Strawberry, Australia, AIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation), Say Aka, Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, hybrid government (democracy and theocratic dictatorship).

Summary

Introduction: Strange Events in Australia

The video discusses a series of anti-Semitic attacks in Australia, including arson and vandalism targeting Jewish-owned businesses, homes, and synagogues. While these attacks were condemned, their amateurish nature (misspelled graffiti, backwards swastikas) raised questions about the perpetrators' true identity and motivations.

Iran's Involvement: Paying Local Thugs

After investigation, it emerged that some of these attacks were orchestrated by the Iranian government, which paid local street thugs to carry them out. This is presented as an extraordinary act of aggression on Australian soil. The video questions why Iran, a supposedly powerful nation, would resort to such low-level tactics.

Global Pattern: Iran's Proxy Attacks

The video reveals that Iran has been bankrolling similar low-level attacks globally, targeting not only Jewish communities but also Iranian dissidents. This is seen as an effort to intimidate people and destabilize Iran's enemies. The video questions whether this strategy reflects Iran's strength or its weakness.

The Kurdish Fox and the Strawberry: A Gang War in Sweden

The video shifts to Sweden, introducing the "Kurdish Fox" (Rawa Majid), the leader of the Foxtrot gang, and his rival, "Strawberry." Their gang war in the early 2020s led to a rise in crime in Sweden, with children often used to commit murders. The Fox and the Strawberry operated from Turkey and Iran, using social media and viral memes to recruit young members.

Iran's Recruitment of Criminals: The Fox and the Strawberry

Following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Kurdish Fox was arrested in Iran. According to Swedish broadcaster SVT, he was offered a choice between a long prison sentence and cooperating with the Iranian regime. This offer is compared to a similar experience of Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian academic imprisoned in Iran. The Fox chose to cooperate, and his gang carried out a suspected terror attack on the Israeli embassy in Sweden in January 2024. Iran then offered to kill the Fox if the Strawberry's gang would join in on the attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets across Scandinavia, and the Strawberry apparently agreed.

Attacks in Australia: James Bond and the Brewery

The video returns to Australia, focusing on Say Muhammad Mousawi, nicknamed "James Bond," who allegedly hired two men to set fire to a Jewish-owned bakery. They mistakenly set fire to the Curly Lewis Brewery instead. Mousawi denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty. This fire was the first in a series of attacks against Jewish targets in Australia, causing fear within the Jewish community.

The Explosive Caravan and Say Aka

A caravan full of explosives was discovered in Sydney, with a note listing Jewish targets. Initially, police believed Say Aka, an alleged drug dealer in Turkey, was responsible for all the attacks, including the caravan plot. Aka denied involvement in the anti-Semitic attacks, claiming he only intercepted the caravan.

Iran's Direct Involvement in Australia

Authorities later stated that Iran orchestrated some of the attacks, including the arson at Lewis Continental Kitchen and the Adas Israel synagogue. The government believes this was an attempt to create division in Australia.

The Hybrid Government of Iran and the IRGC

The video explains that Iran's government is a hybrid of a democracy and a theocratic dictatorship, with the supreme leader and the IRGC wielding significant power. Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert describes the IRGC as incompetent, promoting religious zealotry over expertise.

Conclusion: Combating Destabilization

The video concludes that stopping these attacks is difficult in the age of the internet and cryptocurrency. The focus should be on making the attacks less effective by supporting communities under attack and strengthening social cohesion. The message is that these attacks are attempts to undermine social cohesion, and communities must resist these attempts by supporting and accepting each other.

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