Bosnia among 19 countries in Europol takedown of over 14,000 IRGC alleged terrorist posts

Led by the EU Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) within the European Counter Terrorism Centre, the action targeted the IRGC's digital footprint to disrupt propaganda, recruitment, and fundraising activities. A total of 19 countries participated in the operation, including Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States.

Investigators found that the propaganda spanned multiple languages, including Arabic, Persian, English, French, and Spanish, and was distributed across social media platforms, streaming services, blogs, and independent websites. Notably, the operation identified AI-generated video materials glorifying the IRGC and broadcasting calls for revenge on behalf of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The investigation revealed that the IRGC utilised a complex hosting network stretching across various jurisdictions from Russia to the United States, alongside crypto transactions to finance and maintain its online presence. As part of the enforcement, the primary IRGC account on the X platform, which commanded over 150,000 followers, has been blocked within the EU, while thousands of other links have been removed or are undergoing deletion.

The crackdown forms part of the broader ProtectEU strategy, an initiative designed by the EU to restrict the reach and influence of alleged terrorist networks across digital spaces.