Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has accused the Iranian government of sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria and across other parts of the world.
Freeman made the allegation during an interview with Arise TV on Friday, against the backdrop of ongoing U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran over its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The ambassador pointed to Iran’s alleged support for local extremist groups as evidence of Tehran’s destabilising influence on Nigerian soil. He specifically named the Islamic Movement of Nigeria as an organisation sponsored and backed by the Iranian regime.
Freeman further stated that Iran sponsors major terror organisations globally, citing Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various armed groups in Iraq.
The envoy also referenced a pattern of Iranian-backed violence beyond the Middle East. He alleged that Iran had carried out terror bombings in Argentina and Bulgaria, and claimed that less than two months ago, the Iranian government killed between 30,000 and 70,000 of its own citizens who had taken to the streets in protest — describing Tehran as an illegitimate government.
Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, however, pushed back strongly against the allegations. Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja dismissed the claims as entirely baseless, describing them as part of a propaganda campaign by a regime with a long record of violence and breaches of international law.
The exchange reflects the deepening diplomatic tensions between Israel and Iran playing out on Nigerian soil, as both countries seek to assert their narratives amid an escalating regional conflict.
