Sweden Lowers Terror Threat Level After Quran Burning Tensions Subside

Sweden’s Security Service (SAPO) has downgraded the national terrorist threat level from “high” to “elevated,” returning to pre-2023 levels following tensions over Quran burnings, Al Arabiya reported.

The decision announced Friday reflects decreased targeting of Sweden specifically in militant propaganda, though it remains “a legitimate target for violent Islamism globally,” according to SAPO head Charlotte von Essen.

The threat level was raised in 2023 after anti-Islam activists, including Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, burned copies of the Quran, sparking violent protests. Demonstrators stormed Sweden’s Baghdad embassy, while groups like Hezbollah and al-Qaeda called for retaliation. Momika was fatally shot in January 2025 in a suspected Islamist-linked murder.

While noting reduced immediate risks, von Essen warned Sweden remains vulnerable to attacks. The agency also reported increased threats against Jewish and Israeli targets since Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.