# Iranian intelligence operations in Europe

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/iranian-intelligence-operations-in-europe
> Updated: 2026-10-14T16:31:11.000Z. Sources: 27. Developments: 2.

Recent legal proceedings in the United Kingdom and Germany have highlighted alleged Iranian intelligence activities targeting Jewish and pro-Israel interests in Europe.

In the United Kingdom, two men, Nematollah Shahsavani and Alireza Farasati, pleaded not guilty to charges of spying on Israeli and Jewish communities. The prosecution alleges that between July and August 2025, the pair conducted surveillance, reconnaissance, and data collection near the Israeli embassy, a synagogue, and other specific targets. A trial is scheduled for April 2027.

In Germany, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg has issued prison sentences to two men for intelligence activities conducted on behalf of Iran. The court found that a 54-year-old defendant, Ali S., a Danish resident of Afghan origin, received direct instructions from officers of the Al-Quds Brigades—the foreign unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard—to scout prominent Jewish and pro-Israel figures. Targets included Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews, and Volker Beck, President of the German-Israeli Society.

The 54-year-old was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for espionage, attempted murder, and attempted arson, while a 43-year-old accomplice, Tawab M., received four and a half years. Beyond scouting, the court determined the defendants had prepared for an arson attack against a kosher business in Berlin. Presiding Judge Petra Wende-Spors and the Federal Prosecutor stated the planned attacks were centrally controlled by Iran, aiming to ‘export terror to Germany and target Jewish life.’

## Claims

- A 54-year-old man was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. (corroborated by 17 sources)
- The 54-year-old defendant prepared for an arson attack on a kosher food business in Berlin. (corroborated by 17 sources)
- The 54-year-old defendant received instructions from officers of the Al-Quds Brigades, the foreign unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. (corroborated by 17 sources)
- The primary defendant attempted to recruit the second man for an assassination attempt on Volker Beck. (corroborated by 17 sources)
- The defendants scouted Josef Schuster and Volker Beck while living in Denmark. (corroborated by 17 sources)
- Tawab M., a 43-year-old man, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. (corroborated by 17 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-14: Germany sentences two men for Iranian-directed terror plots

A Hamburg court sentenced two men to eight and a half and four and a half years in prison for spying for Iran and planning attacks on Jewish leaders and a kosher business in Germany.

22 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-court-sentences-two-men-for-iranian-espionage

### 2026-10-09: Two men deny spying on UK Jewish and Israeli targets for Iran

Nematollah Shahsavani and Alireza Farasati have pleaded not guilty to spying on Israeli and Jewish targets in the UK for Iranian intelligence, with a trial set for 2027.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/two-men-deny-spying-on-uk-jewish-and-israeli-targets-for-iran

---
Cite as: Iranian intelligence operations in Europe. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/iranian-intelligence-operations-in-europe