It was a “premeditated, calculated and coordinated” attack. A group that has not yet been identified by the French authorities destroyed this morning Critical points of the French railway network.the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. There were many restrictions, around 800,000 passengers were affected and waited for hours to catch the train and it will be until Monday for everything to return to normal. Still, until the end of this Friday, the mystery remains: who was behind this attack that caused so much disruption?

Several theories have emerged in the past few hours. The French public prosecutor is investigating who tried to “harm the vital interests of the nation”, and the French authorities and secret services are also on the ground. However, so far no one has been arrested and no government official has dared to point out responsibility. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal urged “caution” but confirmed the attack was sophisticated and required detailed knowledge of how the rail network works.

The main suspicions fall on groups of leftmost or of Radical activists linked to the environmental movement.once modus operandi It recalls some past attacks. But there is also speculation that Russia, which is not directly participating in these Olympics (Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot use their flag), or Islamic groups could be behind what happened.

Attack on train lines in France: what is known and what remains to be known?

The French authorities are exactly cautious as the outgoing French prime minister had called for (there will be no new French government until after the Games, Macron announced). On the international scene, however, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz directly accused the Iranian-led “axis of evil” of being linked to the attack. However, the accusations were quickly refuted by Iranian diplomats, who called them “ridiculous.”

The most plausible thesis, but far from being confirmed: far-left groups

The political situation in France is tense. Following the last French legislative elections, The country was plunged into a climate of uncertainty. The New Popular Front, the alliance that brings together parties from the centre-left to the communists, won the election but was far from securing an absolute majority. French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition came in second, followed by the far-right National Union.

In this uncertain context where there are no conditions to form a stable government, an action that would destabilise the Olympic Games – organised during Emmanuel Macron’s mandate – could be seen as a form of political protestmainly by radical leftist forces.

According to Le Parisien, the intelligence services are trying to determine the origin of this sabotage. In the newspaper, a source in the French authorities acknowledged that the methods used to create problems on the railway network (in particular, setting fires to eliminate evidence) are reminiscent of what far-left groups have done in the past.

In fact, this thesis – which would have been a group of extreme leftists or radical environmentalists – It is the one that has the most consensus among the French security services.the same source told Le Parisien. Supporting this theory is the fact that these groups were based in France and therefore had knowledge of the terrain and the railways. In addition, there may have been complicity between the workers who manage the railway network in France, the SNCF and the saboteurs.

Speaking to BFMTV, security analyst Guillaume Farde said that “eyes are turned” towards the “extreme left”, recalling that there were “calls for sabotage, obstruction and disruption in the organisation of the Olympic Games” by political groups of that ideology. “And the modus operandi “This is normal,” said the expert, adding that there was a failed attempt at a similar attack in Marseille when the Olympic flame arrived in the city on May 8.

In this sense, the possibility that they were people living in France and familiar with railways becomes more solid. As Le Figaro recalls, on May 8, explosive material was placed near the TGV line, something that also occurred in these attacks. However, the The authorities thwarted this attempted attack.which is currently still under investigation.

The Russian hypothesis and the attack on Germany

The International Olympic Committee did not allow athletes from Russia (and its ally Belarus) to participate under the flags of both countries. The reason for the decision was the invasion of Ukraine. Athletes can participate in the Olympic Games, but under a neutral flag and without listening to the anthem in the case of medals. They also cannot have supported the military conflict taking place on Ukrainian territory. In total, only 17 Belarusians and 15 Russians agreed to these conditions.

As the Financial Times reports, the event is being watched with little enthusiasm in Russia. Russian state television will not even broadcast the Olympics, for the first time in 40 years. In direct conflict with the West over the war in Ukraine, Moscow has every interest in creating problems for the Games as a way of countering the country’s isolation.

Moreover, France has also been one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters and recently sent fighter jets and military equipment to enable kyiv to resist the Russian invasion. Now, according to The Telegraph, the Russian president may want to retaliate against his French counterpart. How to do that? The poor performance at the Olympic Games became a humiliation for Emmanuel Macron.

That being so, French authorities are keeping a close eye on how Russia might create unrest at the Olympic Games. Just this Tuesday, a 40-year-old chef was arrested for links to the Russian secret service branch, the FSB. The Russian citizen, who had been living in France for 14 years, was organizing activities intended to disrupt the event.

As for the attack on the French railway network, there is no direct link with Russia. But given the tensions between Paris and Moscow, it would not be surprising if the Kremlin had carried out this massive attack on the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Paris wants to be the “safest place in the world” but Russian sabotage, Daesh threats and Palestinian protests overshadow the Olympics

The Wall Street Journal recalls that there was an attack identical in October 2022 in Germany. Communication cables on the railway lines were cut at that time, something that also happened in France in the early hours of Friday. The German railway network was heavily congested, especially in the north of the country. German authorities suspect Russia was behind the attack.although they never confirmed their authorship.

Iran or Islamic group?

Paris was the scene of violent terrorist attacks in 2015 and Daesh carried them out. In relation to what happened this Friday, the modus operandi The self-proclaimed Islamic State is, however, quite different; its attacks are often on a different scale and result in fatalities.

While France remained cautious, Israel pointed the finger directly at Iran. On X (formerly Twitter), the head of Israeli diplomacy denounced that the “sabotage of the railway infrastructure” was carried out by the “axis of evil in Iran and radical Islam.” Israel Katz stressed that he warned his French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, this week that Tel Aviv had information that “the Iranians were planning terrorist attacks.” against the Israeli delegation and against the Olympic participants.”

The sabotage of railway infrastructure throughout France before the @Paris2024 The Olympic Games were planned and executed under the influence of the Iranian axis of evil and radical Islam. As I warned my French counterpart @steph_sejourne This week, according to information in Israel’s possession, Iranians…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 26, 2024

With the exception of this X-post by the Israeli minister, there is little evidence to support that Iran was behind the attack. Still, Tehran and other Islamic groups frown upon Israel’s presence at these Games, and there have been protests against Israel’s presence at the world’s largest sporting event.

In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani rejected Israel Katz’s accusations. Also on X, the official wrote that this was a “desperate attempt” by Tel Aviv. “to distract public opinion from the genocide in Palestine.”

Download سلامی ایران در مورد #المپیک_۲۰۲۴_پاریس، تلاشی مذبوحانْ #غزه و فرار رو به جلو در برابر خشم و نفرت جهانی اش یه مردم مظلوم #فلسطین To.
More… pic.twitter.com/dFCCLBAFoG

– Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 26, 2024

“These accusations go against the principles of peace and friendship of the Olympic Games and are another example of Israel not adhering to international values ​​and norms,” ​​Nasser Kanaani continued, adding that they are “cruel and ridiculous.” The Iranian diplomatic spokesman also wished “the French government success” in “organizing the largest sporting event” in “complete safety,” stressing that a delegation of Iranian athletes will be in Paris.