Germany’s federal prosecutor on Thursday announced it had charged two men for plotting to kill prominent leaders of the Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The indictment, which was submitted earlier this month and made public on Thursday, comes as European authorities have grown concerned about what they say is an uptick of Iranian intelligence activity in Europe in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
The main suspect, whom the prosecutor’s office identified only as Ali S., a Danish citizen, in keeping with strict German privacy guidelines, was charged with espionage, attempted conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated arson. Tawab M., an Afghan citizen who prosecutors say played a supporting role, was charged with attempted conspiracy to commit murder.
Both men were arrested last year in Denmark and have been in Germany since their extradition last year. There was no immediate public reaction from the two men or their legal teams.
According to German investigators, Ali S. worked for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and had close ties to the Quds Force, an elite Guards unit which specializes in foreign operations.
In the spring of 2025, Ali S. traveled to Berlin to scout targets and hire people to participate in arson attacks and killings, according to the indictment. In Berlin, he met with Tawab M., who promised to procure a weapon that could be used by an unidentified third man to kill Volker Beck, the head of the German-Israeli Society, a prominent group that promotes ties between the two countries.
Among the other targets were Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, as well as two Jewish grocers, according to the indictment.
Mr. Beck, who is not Jewish but is an active member of the Jewish community through the society, demanded a robust response from the German state on Thursday, including the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador to Germany.
Germany’s national leaders and its federal intelligence officers have been at odds over how seriously to warn the public of an increasing danger stemming from Iranian agents operating in Germany.
Christopher F. Schuetze is a reporter for The Times based in Berlin, covering politics, society and culture in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
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