Following Tehran’s declaration that the armies of the European Union would be regarded as a terrorist organization, Konstantin von Notz – the Greens’ spokesperson and deputy chair of the parliamentary control committee – cautioned against underestimating the foreign intelligence operations of the Mullah regime. Speaking to the “Tagesspiegel” on Monday, he noted that when Bundeswehr sites are already under scrutiny for Russian intelligence activity, it is essential to take Iran’s explicit warnings about threats to facilities and personnel seriously.
The German Ministry of Defence said it will not take lightly the possible danger posed to troops by the Iranian intelligence services, which are already very active in Germany. A ministry spokesperson told the newspaper that the situation is being closely monitored and that the ministry is in even more frequent contact with the operational command than usual. Direct lines of communication remain open with individual Bundeswehr sites.
From the coalition government’s perspective, security authorities are already on alert. Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD parliamentary group’s spokesperson for foreign policy, told the “Tagesspiegel” that protecting soldiers and German installations is “the highest priority”. He added that the assessment of the situation is tightly coordinated with international partners.
CDU politician Jürgen Hardt, a fellow Union faction member, echoed this view. He said that regardless of the new designation, European security services are already paying close attention to Iranian terrorism. Politically, he described Tehran’s announcement as both “expected” and “irrelevant”. Ahmetovic also underlined that, unlike the earlier EU listing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, this new stance lacks any legal basis and does not alter the legitimacy of the Bundeswehr’s overseas missions.
