A series of Iranian-backed terror plots targeting Jews and Israeli-linked businesses in Europe were foiled by security services earlier this year, according to an investigation by the German daily Der Spiegel.
The thwarted attacks, planned for 2024, involved a criminal network recruited by Tehran to conduct surveillance on Jewish and Israeli targets in Germany. At the same time, a series of arson attacks targeted Israeli-owned businesses in southern France, starting at the end of 2023 and continuing into 2024.
Iran International reported In May this year that Israeli and Swedish Intelligence agencies warned about Iran using criminal networks as terrorist proxies in Europe to carry out a string of attacks on Israeli embassies in Europe since October 7.
Planned attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Germany
According to the report, one of the key suspects who is referred to as Abdolkarim S., is a 34-year-old French national with a history of violent crime. Abdolkarim, known for his involvement in the drug trade in Marseille, was allegedly recruited by Tehran to scout Jewish and Israeli-related targets in Europe.
In February 2024, Abdolkarim and his wife traveled to Berlin, where, according to German investigators, he used his wife's phone to locate the office of a Jewish lawyer who represents Israeli clients. Investigators found the address of the lawyer’s office on a navigation app used during the trip. This marked the first appearance of the Iranian-sponsored cell in Germany.
Two months later, in April 2024, Abdolkarim made two separate trips to Munich, this time without his wife. According to Der Spiegel, German security services closely monitored him as he scouted a Jewish family’s business in the eastern part of Munich. He filmed the building, its surroundings, and doorbell signs. Investigators suspect the family, which has close ties to Israel, was the intended target of a planned attack. In one audio message sent to an unknown recipient, Abdolkarim reportedly said, “I have seen the company, there were people inside, but the person wasn’t there,” suggesting he had been scouting for a specific individual.
These surveillance activities did not go unnoticed. German intelligence services tracked Abdolkarim’s movements, leading to his arrest in late April 2024. Abdolkarim was subsequently detained in France, and French authorities have charged him with terrorism-related offenses. His surveillance efforts in Germany are believed to have been part of a broader plan by Tehran to orchestrate attacks against Jewish and Israeli figures in Europe.
Arson attacks on Israeli-owned businesses in France
While the attacks in Germany were thwarted, Israeli-owned businesses in southern France were targeted in a series of arson attacks. Between December 2023 and January 2024, four businesses were set on fire, including a warehouse near Montpellier. The businesses ranged from a water treatment company to a software engineering firm, which on the surface appeared to have little in common. However, investigators, according to Der Spiegel, discovered that all the companies were owned by Israelis, linking the attacks to the same criminal network associated with Abdolkarim.
French intelligence agency DGSI believes the arson attacks were part of a larger Iranian plot to strike Israeli-linked interests in Europe. Investigators reportedly found the addresses of the targeted businesses on Abdolkarim’s phone, suggesting his role in passing the information to those who carried out the attacks. However, the physical perpetrators of the arson attacks have not yet been identified.
Tehran’s use of criminal networks
Western intelligence agencies have been tracking an emerging trend where the Iranian regime uses criminal networks in Europe to carry out state-sponsored terrorism. Tehran has shifted its strategy in recent years, moving away from using its own agents and instead relying on local criminals to execute terror attacks, as reported by Der Spiegel. This approach, security officials suggest, allows Iran to maintain “deniability” by distancing itself from direct involvement.
The thwarted attacks in Germany and the arson in France are part of this broader pattern. Abdolkarim was released from prison in 2023 after serving time for his role in a gang murder. Shortly after his release, he was allegedly recruited by Tehran’s network.
Despite the arrests, investigators remain concerned that media reports revealing the Iranian-backed plot in April may have compromised their efforts to fully dismantle the terror cell.