Iranian Suspect, Allegedly Focused on German Jewish Community, Held for Espionage - Jews in Germany potentially under threat?
In a significant development in Germany's counter-intelligence efforts, a Danish citizen identified only as Ali S. has been arrested on suspicion of espionage for Iran, specifically tasked with collecting intelligence on Jewish individuals and sites in Berlin, Germany.
The arrest, which took place in the Danish city of Aarhus with cooperation from German authorities, was confirmed by the Danish domestic intelligence service PET. The German prosecutors state that early in 2025, Ali S. received orders from an Iranian intelligence service, believed to be the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to gather information in preparation for further intelligence activities, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets.
The suspect is accused of conducting surveillance on three properties in Berlin, including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society, which is viewed as preparatory work for potential hostile actions against Jewish communities. This case comes amid heightened alert in Germany regarding potential attacks on Jewish sites following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and ongoing concerns about Iranian espionage and terrorism activities in Europe.
German authorities have previously thwarted Iranian-linked plots, including a 2022 synagogue attack plan linked to Iranian state agencies. In October, the Federal Prosecutor's Office arrested a Libyan who intended to attack the Israeli embassy with firearms, but he was later released due to insufficient evidence. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating another suspected attack plan on Jewish and Israeli facilities, this time at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.
The Federal Minister of Justice, Stefanie Hubig, stated that if the suspicion of the planned attack is confirmed, it would be an unprecedented incident. The Federal Criminal Police Office is conducting the police investigations. The suspect is to be transferred to Germany and brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe to determine custody and formal charges.
The arrest of Ali S. marks a significant development in Germany’s counter-intelligence efforts against Iranian operations on its soil. In recent years, Tehran has increasingly focused on Israeli or Jewish targets in Europe. The President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, called for active political engagement against the Iranian regime in response to the suspected planned attack.
In response to the Israeli attack on June 13, which bombed targets nationwide, citing the threat posed by Iran's controversial nuclear program, Iran responded with rocket and drone attacks, and a ceasefire is now in place. Meanwhile, the federal and state interior ministries have strengthened measures to protect Israeli and Jewish institutions following the Israeli attack.
In a separate incident, a Syrian man is suspected of stabbing a Spanish tourist at the Holocaust Memorial with a knife, causing life-threatening injuries, and the Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses him of acting out of a radical Islamic and anti-Semitic conviction.
This incident underscores the ongoing concerns about security for Jewish communities in Europe and the need for continued vigilance and cooperation between intelligence agencies and law enforcement to protect against potential threats.
- Given the ongoing concerns about Iranian espionage and terrorism activities in Europe, it is crucial for community policy to emphasize cooperation between intelligence agencies and law enforcement to ensure the safety of Jewish communities, as demonstrated in Germany's counter-intelligence efforts.
- The arrest of Ali S., allegedly involved inespionage for Iran and targeting Jewish individuals and sites, highlights the importance of having clear and strict employment policies to prevent individuals with ties to war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, or crime-and-justice from being employed in sensitive positions.
