Finland has become the target of Iranian espionage operations, according to the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo).
Iran's increasingly hostile actions are a reflection of the state's deteriorating relations with the West, the intelligence agency said.
"The threat has also increased in the Nordic countries," a spokesperson for Supo said, but declined to elaborate further on what specific information Iran is seeking about Finland.
This announcement marks the first time Supo has officially named Iran among the list of countries suspected of spying on Finland.
Previously, only Russia and China were publicly identified.
In an email to Yle, Supo said that in addition to these three countries, some other nations are also suspected of running espionage operations targeting Finland or against people living in the country.
For example, some autocratic states are believed to monitor people who live abroad but belong to those countries' political opposition or are members of groups seen as threats to those in power.
"The aim is to obtain information about these people by using several different means. Human intelligence is one of the methods used," Supo said, adding that the "goal of these activities is to silence voices critical of the regime".
