Swedish-Iranian man linked to attempted murder of Iranian dissident on Europol’s most wanted list

A 41-year-old Swedish-Iranian man, Dante Peykar, is suspected of involvement in Iran’s proxy operations in Sweden, including an attempted assassination of Iranian dissident Arvin Khoshnood, according to an investigation by public broadcaster SVT Nyheter.

Peykar, who holds both Swedish and Iranian citizenship, has been named a “high value target” on Europol’s most wanted list. Swedish authorities allege he used the alias “Tartarus” to order the September 2025 attack on Khoshnood via the encrypted messaging app Signal, SVT reports.

The same alias is linked to a planned attack on Aimpoint, a Malmö-based company that previously supplied weapon sights to Israel. Peykar is also accused of pressuring members of the criminal network Rumba—led by the recently arrested Ismail Abdo—to carry out attacks on Iranian exiles, including journalists at London-based broadcaster Iran International, as well as “anything related to Israel.” Rumba members reportedly refused the orders.

Peykar fled Sweden for Iran in 2024 amid debts to criminal groups, according to SVT. Swedish police suspect he has since worked for the Iranian regime, mirroring the activities of Rawa Majid, the former leader of the now-defunct Foxtrot network. Multiple violent incidents targeting Peykar’s relatives in Sweden have been tied to his unpaid debts.

He remains in custody in absentia for his alleged role in a fatal October 2025 shooting in Södertälje, where two men were ambushed in a car; only one survived. Peykar has prior convictions, including a customs violation for smuggling 205,000 Swedish kronor (approx. €17,500) to Moscow.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Iranian authorities have increasingly relied on Swedish criminal networks to execute violent acts in Sweden, SVT reports. Peykar’s case marks the latest in a series of alleged regime-directed operations on Swedish soil.