Federal prosecutors in Hamburg have filed indictments against Ali S., a Danish national, and Tawab M., an Afghan national, for their alleged roles in an Iranian-backed espionage and assassination plot. The pair is accused of working to facilitate attacks against high-profile Jewish figures and businesses in Germany.

The Quds Force's alleged targeting of Josef Schuster and Volker Beck

According to the indictment filed at the Hamburg state court on May 7, Ali S. was allegedly operating as an agent for the intelligence service of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.. The report indicates that Ali S. maintained close contact with the Guard's expeditionary Quds Force to carry out specific intelligence-gathering tasks.

The targets of this operation were high-profile members of the German Jewish community. Specifically, prosecutors claim Ali S. was tasked with gathering information on Josef Schuster, the head of Germany's Central Council of Jews, and Volker Beck, the head of the German-Israeli Society and a prominent former German lawmaker. The information was allegedly intended to prepare for acts of assassination and arson .

Scouting Berlin locations and procuring weapons in early 2025

The investigation reveals that the operational phase of the plot intensified at the beginning of 2025.. During this period, Ali S. reportedly scouted various locations throughout Berlin to prepare for potential attacks and sought out accomplices to assist in the mission.

As the report states, the alleged accomplice Tawab M. played a critical role in the logistics of the planned violence. tawab M. is charged with attempted participation in murder after allegedly attempting to procure a weapon for an unidentified third person. This weapon was intended to be used in an attempt to kill Volker Beck.

The diplomatic clash following the German Foreign Ministry's summons

The arrest of the suspects triggered a significant diplomatic incident between Germany and Iran.. Following the initial arrest of Ali S. last year, the German Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's ambassador to address the security breach and the nature of the alleged state-sponsored activity.

The Iranian Embassy has responded to these developments by rejecting the claims made by German authorities . in an official capacity, the emassy characterized the allegations of a planned attack on Jewish facilities as "unfounded and dangerous."

The identity of the unnamed grocers and the third person

Several specific details regarding the scope of the plot remain unverified by the current indictment. While the primary targets were high-profile leaders, the prosecution also noted that Ali S. was tasked with monitoring two Jewish grocers in Berlin, though the identities of these business owners have not been released.

Furthermore,the role and identity of the "unidentified third person" mentioned in the charges against Tawab M. remain unknown. It is currently unclear if this individual was a direct operative of the Quds Force or a local recruit intended to carry out the physical assault.