Security agencies across Germany have stepped up protective measures following the U.S. and Israeli weekend military strikes on Iran, amid warnings that Tehran could seek reprisals on European soil.
According to Bild, state security services and domestic intelligence officials are now reviewing the threat to national security on an hourly basis. Particular attention is being paid to U.S. and Jewish institutions, which authorities believe could become potential targets for those seeking retribution.
“Due to the escalating conflict, the risk of attacks by so-called Islamist sleeper cells, who could carry out acts of sabotage or even attacks in the name of the mullah regime, is now increasing,” a senior state security official told the German tabloid.
The source stressed that such individuals would not necessarily be Iranian nationals. Tehran’s longstanding support for groups including Hamas, through “money, weapons, and logistics,” could prompt affiliated extremists to act in Iran’s name. In recent years, authorities have uncovered Hamas-linked cells and weapons stockpiles in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. “This clearly demonstrates that there are contingency plans in place to strike,” the official added.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, has also indicated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could potentially draw on Shiite networks from Lebanon, Pakistan, or Afghanistan already present in Germany. Officials are additionally bracing for unrest linked to anti-Israel demonstrations, similar to scenes witnessed after the Hamas attacks on Israel. At the same time, jubilant Iranian opposition supporters could themselves become targets for smaller extremist groups.
JUST IN:
During a protest against the Iran’s Islamist government in Germany, two individuals were stabbed in the city of Hamburg.
One victim’s life is in danger.
3 suspects have been arrested. pic.twitter.com/LR2BgZDBnT
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) January 18, 2026
In comments reported by Tagesspiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung, Marc Henrichmann, chairman of the parliamentary control committee overseeing Germany’s intelligence services, warned of a response by Tehran. “Retaliatory measures, including by Iranian sleeper cells in Europe, cannot be ruled out,” the CDU politician said. He added that the Iranian regime has “repeatedly demonstrated in the past that it carries out its terror beyond its own borders,” describing the leadership in Tehran as being in an “absolute fight for survival.”
Felix Klein, the German government’s commissioner for combating antisemitism, also cautioned that heightened tensions in the Middle East often coincide with increased threats to Jewish life in Europe. He told the Funke media group that it was to be expected “that Iran will use its networks in this country for terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli institutions.”
“We have repeatedly seen the mechanism between increased tensions in the Middle East and intensified attacks on Jewish life in Europe in the past,” he added.
The Iranian people have the right to determine their own future. Germany is coordinating closely with the United States, Israel and partners in the region. We remain committed to peace and security in the region and to Israel’s security.
— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) February 28, 2026
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has convened Germany’s National Security Council to assess the domestic implications of the crisis. In a statement issued after calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and consultations with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, Merz stressed that Germany was not involved in the military strikes. At the same time, he strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Israel and other regional partners.
“The German government strongly calls on Iran to immediately cease its military strikes against Israel and our other partners in the region. It condemns these strikes in the strongest terms,” Merz declared. He also noted that the United States had sought a negotiated solution over Iran’s nuclear programme for weeks, but that Tehran “did not agree to any comprehensive, reliable, and verifiable agreement to end its military nuclear program.”
Security authorities believe Iranian intelligence services remain active in Germany, particularly in monitoring opposition figures, and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has warned that individuals associated with the Iranian opposition abroad are “persistently targeted” by Iranian services.
Annalena Baerbock verurteilt den Angriff auf die Mullahs und fordert die USA und Israel auf, die Angriffe einzustellen. Wie kann es sein, dass eine CDU-Regierung diese Frau zur UN geschickt hat? Wie kann es sein, dass wir für diese “Völkerrechtlerin” bezahlen müssen? Und wie kann… pic.twitter.com/tmAl9z4mG7
— Julian Reichelt (@jreichelt) February 28, 2026
While the current government criticized Iranian strikes on neighboring nations in the Middle East, former Greens foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, condemned the military action initiated by the United States and Israel.
In a statement on social media, Baerbock, who now serves as president of the United Nations General Assembly, said that “serious concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program, regional activities, and human rights violations must be addressed in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law.”
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