Germany Charges Ali S. and Tawab M. in Iran-Linked Plot to Kill Jewish Leaders

German federal prosecutors charged two men in connection with an Iran-linked plot to kill prominent leaders of Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany, with the case announced by the federal prosecutor on Thursday in Berlin.

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Algemeiner

The main suspect, identified only as Ali S., is described in the indictment as a Danish citizen accused of working for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and maintaining close ties to the Quds Force.

Algemeiner

The second defendant, Tawab M., is identified as an Afghan citizen and is charged with attempted complicity in murder, after both men were arrested in Denmark and later in Germany following extradition.

The New York Times reported that Ali S. traveled to Berlin in the spring of 2025 to scout targets and hire people for arson attacks and killings, and that prosecutors said he met with Tawab M. in Berlin to procure a weapon for an unidentified third man.

JNS.org said prosecutors filed indictments against both men in Hamburg state court on May 7, and that Ali S. was arrested in Denmark in June 2025 while Tawab M. was arrested in Denmark in November.

Prosecutors said Ali S. gathered intelligence in Berlin on Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society, as well as two Jewish grocers.

The New York Times reported that Mr. Beck demanded a robust response from the German state on Thursday, including the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador to Germany.

Haaretz

After Ali S.’s arrest, the German foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador in Berlin, and JNS.org reported that the Iranian embassy denied the allegations, calling them “unfounded and dangerous.”

JNS.org also quoted prosecutors stating: “All this served for the preparation of assassination and arson attacks in Germany,” tying the alleged scouting and recruitment to planned violence.

The New York Times further described Germany’s national leaders and federal intelligence officers as at odds over how seriously to warn the public of an increasing danger stemming from Iranian agents operating in Germany.

The charges in Germany include espionage and sabotage-related offenses, with JNS.org saying Ali S. was charged with acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service and engaging in sabotage-related espionage, alongside attempted participation in murder and arson.

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Haaretz

In the New York Times account, Ali S. was charged with espionage, attempted conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated arson, while Tawab M. was charged with attempted conspiracy to commit murder.

The case is framed by multiple outlets as part of a broader concern about Iranian intelligence activity in Europe, with The New York Times saying European authorities had grown concerned about an uptick in Iranian intelligence activity in Europe in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.

Algemeiner reported that German authorities identified the main suspect as an alleged operative for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and said prosecutors accused him of intelligence-gathering inside Germany for potential future attacks, including surveillance in Berlin targeting sites linked to Jewish institutions.

Algemeiner also said a second individual, described as a 52-year-old Afghan national, was identified as an alleged accomplice facing charges after reportedly agreeing to obtain a firearm and recruit a contract killer, with the alleged plan thwarted after the main suspect was arrested in Denmark in June 2025 and later extradited to Germany.