Iran's "intensification of illegal efforts" to acquire nuclear and missile technology in Germany

On Tuesday, June 15, Germany's national intelligence agency published its annual report on security threats to the country, according to which "Iran's efforts to obtain nuclear and missile weapons technology in Germany through illegal means have intensified."

The report also indicates "a significant increase in the number of members and supporters of known terrorist movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah" and "a noticeable expansion of their activities on German soil."

The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post says that the German intelligence agency's report is 420 pages long, and the newspaper has access to it and reviewed its contents.

Germany's national intelligence agency, whose official name is the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, mentions Iran a hundred times in this document and emphasizes that it has monitored activities by Iranian-linked agents to purchase technologies requested by Tehran.

The German intelligence agency has written that the scope of Iranian movements and the actors seeking the aforementioned purchases in Iran's name have shown a growing trend compared to last year.

However, according to the Jerusalem Post, Germany's national intelligence agency has not considered these efforts to be a violation of the JCPOA.

However, the Jerusalem Post speculated that because Germany is among Iran's most important trading partners and continues to benefit from the JCPOA, the German National Intelligence Organization did not consider Iran's moves to acquire nuclear and missile technologies on German soil to be a violation of the JCPOA.

Germany, along with France and Britain, are three European countries that, along with China and Russia, remain in the JCPOA and are working to get the Joe Biden administration to return to the agreement through ongoing negotiations in Vienna.

However, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart three months ago, emphasized that Berlin is Israel's partner in the goal of containing Iran's nuclear program.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who traveled to Jerusalem three weeks ago to express solidarity with Israel after the recent Gaza war, also told senior Israeli officials that Germany defends Israel's interests.

Iran, which has maintained full relations with Germany, usually does not respond to reports from the country's intelligence agencies.

Meanwhile, further details of the new report by the German National Intelligence Service regarding the expansion of the presence and actions of Hamas and Hezbollah in 2020 on German soil have not yet been released to the media.

The German Interior Ministry recently raided locations in seven German states after outlawing three groups in the country on suspicion of raising funds for Hezbollah.

In mid-spring of this year, the German Intelligence and Security Agency estimated that 1,050 people were working on the territory of the country in line with Hezbollah's goals.

On the other hand, the new government that took office in Israel on Monday, June 14, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as its leader, and stripped Benjamin Netanyahu of political power, emphasizes that Israel's policy of confronting Iran's nuclear program has not changed, even though it is aware that the United States' return to the JCPOA may be imminent.

Israel's new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has said that his country's principles toward Iran are "unwavering" and that Israel will prevent Iran from acquiring a military nuclear capability.

Benny Gantz, the Minister of Defense in the new Israeli government, told his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, in his first phone call after the new Israeli government came to power on Monday night that the two countries should continue to work together to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Israeli media have reported that Aviv Kochavi, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, will also raise issues related to Iran with the Joe Biden administration during his first official visit to the United States this week.

Shortly before Benjamin Netanyahu left power, Aviv Kochavi said that America's return to the JCPOA would mean an Israeli attack on Iran.

However, it is unclear what orders the Israeli army chief of staff, who is responsible for carrying out the orders of his country's political cadre, has received in the new Israeli government regarding Iran.

Source: Radio Farda