Israel has renewed allegations that Iran sponsors terrorism across multiple regions of the world, including West Africa, deepening a diplomatic dispute between the two countries that has recently played out in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, said Iran’s record of supporting militant groups was widely documented and could not be dismissed through public denials.
The statement followed recent remarks by Iran’s envoy to Nigeria, Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, who appeared on the Nigerian broadcaster ARISE News on 8 March, where he rejected accusations that Tehran supports extremist activities in Nigeria and across West Africa.
Responding to the denial, Freeman insisted that Iran has for decades been widely identified by Western governments as a major state sponsor of militant groups across different regions.
“For decades, Iran has been widely identified as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, providing funding, weapons, training and strategic direction to terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis,” the Israeli envoy said.
Freeman also alleged that Tehran’s influence extends beyond the Middle East into Africa, including Nigeria, where he claimed Iran supports movements aligned with its ideological and strategic interests. During earlier interviews with Nigerian media, the Israeli diplomat linked Iranian backing to the activities of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a Shia group with ideological ties to Iran.
According to Freeman, Iran’s activities form part of a broader strategy to expand its geopolitical influence through proxy groups and militant networks.
“Iran’s entire apparatus, its state structure, has been sponsoring terrorism, sponsoring organisations around the world to kill Israelis, Jews, and spread terror,” he said in remarks previously reported by Nigerian media.
Iran rejects accusations
Iran’s ambassador, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
In his interview, Raja described the claims as part of a broader propaganda campaign designed to undermine Tehran’s international standing.
“Such allegations are entirely unfounded,” he said, arguing that Iran itself has been a victim of terrorism for decades and has lost thousands of citizens to attacks carried out by extremist groups.
Raja also emphasised that Iran maintains cordial and transparent relations with Nigeria, highlighting cooperation in trade, education, science, culture and healthcare.
“Iran regards Nigeria as an important and influential country in Africa and seeks constructive, long-term engagement with Nigeria and all African countries,” he said.
The Iranian envoy added that Tehran is willing to work with Abuja in addressing security threats such as insurgency and extremism, pointing to Nigeria’s ongoing struggle against militant groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.
Global dispute over Iran’s role
The exchange reflects a wider international debate about Iran’s regional and global role.
Countries including the United States have long accused Tehran of backing militant organisations through financial support, weapons transfers and training networks. Several Iran-aligned militias in the Middle East have been designated terrorist organisations by Washington, reinforcing the view among Western governments that Iran plays a central role in supporting proxy armed groups.
Iran, however, rejects these accusations, arguing that it supports “resistance movements” opposing Israel and Western influence in the region while itself facing threats from extremist groups.
The issue has also been closely tied to the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its overseas branch, the Quds Force, which Western intelligence agencies say coordinate support for armed groups abroad.
Concerns over Nigerian implications
Within Nigeria, the diplomatic dispute has sparked concerns among civil society groups that foreign geopolitical rivalries could inflame domestic religious tensions.
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre warned that linking Nigerian Shia communities to international political conflicts could destabilise the country’s delicate social balance.
In a statement, the group said accusations that Iran sponsors terrorism in Nigeria were “reckless” and risked heightening sectarian suspicion in a country already grappling with insecurity and religious divisions.
Nigeria faces multiple security challenges, including insurgency in the north-east, banditry in the north-west and communal violence in several regions. Analysts say the country remains sensitive to narratives that could deepen existing tensions.
Tensions amid wider Middle East conflict
The diplomatic row also comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and Israel across the Middle East.
In recent months, the long-running shadow conflict between the two states has escalated, with clashes involving Iranian-aligned groups and Israeli forces across several regional theatres.
For Israel, Iran’s support for militant networks remains a central security concern, while Tehran continues to frame its alliances as part of a broader strategy of resistance against Israel and its Western allies.
The competing narratives, now spilling into diplomatic discourse in Africa, illustrate how the rivalry between the two countries increasingly extends far beyond the Middle East.
As both sides maintain sharply opposing positions, Nigeria has found itself drawn—at least rhetorically—into one of the world’s most enduring geopolitical disputes.
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