Is Germany increasingly targeted by Iranian intelligence?

Is Germany increasingly targeted by Iranian intelligence?

Following the US and Israel’s aerial strikes on Iran, Germany’s security apparatus has intensified its watch on potential Iranian retaliatory actions. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the nation’s domestic intelligence body, issued a warning shortly after the initial attacks, highlighting risks to Jewish institutions and other key targets.

Officials’ Statements on Security Threats

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, representing the conservative CDU, reassured the public that security agencies are monitoring the situation closely. He described the threat as “abstract,” noting there is currently no concrete evidence of imminent attacks. However, the BfV’s alert suggested otherwise, indicating preparedness for strikes against synagogues, schools, and other Jewish establishments.

“We should be prepared for Jewish institutions, such as schools and synagogues, to be targeted in any retaliatory operations,” the BfV stated.

Diplomatic missions and military installations are also under scrutiny, as per intelligence reports. Individuals linked to the Iranian opposition, living in Germany, face elevated risks. Surveillance, intimidation, and even kidnappings by Iranian agents have been ongoing for years, according to the agency’s findings.

Concerns Over Transnational Reprisals

Felix Klein, Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, expressed worries about the Iranian regime leveraging its networks to strike Jewish and Israeli targets. This sentiment echoed after the assassination of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s revolutionary leader. “Especially after the killing of Iranian revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei, we can expect Iran to use its networks in Germany to carry out terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli institutions,” he remarked to Funke Media Group.

Parliamentary Oversight Committee head Marc Henrichmann, a CDU member, concurred, citing the regime’s history of external operations. “The Iranian regime has repeatedly shown that it is willing to carry out terrorist acts outside its own borders,” he noted. Yet he emphasized that current security protocols do not warrant alarm.

Escalating Risks and Cyber Threats

Omid Nouripour, a Bundestag representative with roots in Tehran and a former Green Party leader, remains cautious. “The Iranians have always threatened to do so openly in the past,” he said, fearing similar actions could unfold in Europe today.

The BfV has also flagged growing cyber threats, with a February report detailing espionage efforts against Iranian exiles. This involved compromising digital systems, targeting human rights advocates, journalists, and legal professionals. The case of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian who was abducted in 2020 and executed in 2024, further underscored the potential dangers for those with no direct ties to Iran.

As tensions rise, the intelligence agency warns that transnational repression may expand, with cyberattacks and physical assaults becoming more likely against diaspora communities. The situation, they argue, could evolve into a broader threat for individuals linked to Iran’s opposition movements.