Iran has officially added the Bundeswehr, along with the armies of other European nations, to its official roster of terrorist groups. Experts view the decision as a direct and deliberate riposte to the European Union’s recent move to blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. The diplomatic firestorm coincides with a stark warning from Germany’s military counterintelligence branch (MAD). In its latest assessment, the agency identifies Iranian intelligence as a primary threat actively engaged in espionage targeting the Bundeswehr. The report underscores a new emphasis on preemptive defense: specialized briefings, consultations, and targeted materials are now being deployed to sharpen soldiers’ ability to recognize and counter the tradecraft of foreign operatives.
Suspicions regarding Iran’s activities are not confined to military espionage. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Iranian intelligence services are demonstrating an exceptionally high level of operational activity on German soil. The agency assesses that politically active Iranian exiles, journalists, and opposition activists are exposed to particular risk.
The BfV further alleges that Tehran’s operations are targeting not only dissidents but also Israeli and Jewish institutions within Germany. Alarmed by these findings, Konstantin von Notz, chairman of the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Control Committee, has called on the federal government to implement all necessary security measures. He urged the administration to effectively curtail Iranian intelligence activities in Germany, ensure the safety of all residents – including military personnel – and provide robust protection for Jewish institutions.