German Intelligence Warns Iran May Expand Terror Operations in Europe Post-War

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), warns Iran could escalate operations against targets in Europe after the conflict with Israel and the US subsides. These targets include Jewish and Israeli institutions, Iranian dissidents, and other perceived opponents of the regime.

The BfV is investigating individuals based in Germany who traveled to Iran for military training or served Iranian authorities. Intelligence sources confirmed dozens of such departures, including two Hamburg men who appeared in a Basij militia propaganda video with assault rifles. One, Benjamin G., is linked to the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH), banned in 2024. Other individuals participated in propaganda campaigns from Tehran, including Aitak Barani, a German resident convicted last year for glorifying Hamas’ October 7 attacks.

Iranian intelligence services are prepared to use state terrorism methods, from threats to surveillance for attack plots, often relying on proxies linked to organized crime. Since March 2026, the regime has also used a recruitment campaign called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), which uses social media to recruit young, low-cost operatives—often petty criminals or minors—for unsophisticated attacks like arson or crude explosives. Researcher Adrian Shtuni documented 17 HAYI attacks across Europe.

This dual approach of HAYI-style harassment combined with more sophisticated plots by trained operatives poses a significant risk to European security services, potentially overwhelming them. On Friday, the US Justice Department arrested Mohammad Baqer Al-Saadi, a senior commander in Kataib Hezbollah and alleged key facilitator for HAYI operations.