Iran

A Paris court in May detained and charged a couple on accusations that they were involved in Iranian plots to kill Jews in Germany and France, police sources told Agence France-Presse.

Authorities charged Abdelkrim S., 34, and his partner Sabrina B., 33, on May 4 with conspiring with a criminal terrorist organization and placed them in pretrial detention.

The case, known as "Marco Polo" and revealed Thursday by French news website Mediapart, signals a revival in Iranian state-sponsored terrorism in Europe, according to a report by France's General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) seen by AFP.

"Since 2015, the Iranian (secret) services have resumed a targeted killing policy," the French security agency wrote, adding that "the threat has worsened again in the context of the Israel-Hamas war."

The alleged objective for Iranian intelligence was to target civilians and sow fear in Europe among the country's political opposition as well as among Jews and Israelis.

Iran is accused of recruiting criminals, including drug lords, to conduct such operations.

Abdelkrim S. was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison in a killing in Marseille and released on probation in July 2023.

He is accused of being the main France-based operative for an Iran-sponsored terrorist cell that planned acts of violence in France and Germany.

A former fellow inmate is believed to have connected the suspect with the cell's coordinator, a major drug trafficker from the Lyon area who likely visited Iran in May, according to the DGSI.

The group intended to attack a Paris-based former employee at an Israeli security firm and three of his colleagues residing in the Paris suburbs.

Three Israeli-German citizens in Munich and Berlin were also among the targets.

Investigators believe that Abdelkrim S., despite his probation, made multiple trips to Germany for scouting purposes, including travels to Berlin with his wife.

He denied the accusations and said he simply had purchases to make.

French authorities are also crediting the cell with plots to set fire to four Israeli-owned companies in the south of France between late December 2023 and early January 2024, said a police source.

Abdelkrim S. rejected the claims, saying he had acted as a go-between on Telegram for the mastermind and other individuals involved in a planned insurance scam, the source added.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, responding to VOA's request for comments on recent reports of the Islamic Republic's delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia, warned that such actions would have consequences for the Iranian government.

In a statement sent to VOA Friday, spokesperson Sean Savett wrote, "We are aware of these concerning reports, and the transfer would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."

On Monday, Bloomberg News first reported that, according to its unnamed sources, European officials believed the Iranian government is poised to provide ballistic missiles to Russia.

According to the American news agency, the officials did not specify the type or range of the missiles or the exact timing of their delivery to Moscow. However, one official suggested that the delivery might begin within the next few days.

However, on Friday, The Wall Street Journal newspaper, citing American and European officials, reported that Tehran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow. According to Western officials, the shipment includes hundreds of missiles.

The report also indicated that the Islamic Republic is anticipating sending additional weapons to Russia.

Savett said that the United States has been warning about the “deepening security partnership between Moscow and Tehran” since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He added, "As we and our allies made clear at both the G7 summit and the NATO meeting this summer, we are prepared to deliver a swift and severe response if Iran were to move forward with such transfers."

Savett, commenting on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's claims about efforts to improve Iran's relations with the West, said, “Despite these claims, the missile transfer program demonstrates that the Islamic Republic continues to alienate itself from the international community and contribute to threats against European security. Therefore, we assess the leadership of the Islamic Republic based on their actions, not their statements.”

In late August, Reuters news agency reported first that dozens of Russian military personnel were being trained in Iran to operate the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system. The report also indicated that hundreds of the satellite-guided missiles are expected to be delivered to Russia shortly for use in the conflict with Ukraine.

At that time, Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, expressed Washington's deep concern, saying, “We remain in close contact with our European partners and allies about potential actions we may take.”

The White House had previously said in a statement “the U.S. has consistently warned about the deepening security cooperation between Russia and Iran since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That cooperation poses a threat to European security and highlights that Iran's destabilizing influence has expanded beyond the Middle East to a global scale.”

However, on Friday, the Islamic Republic's mission to the United Nations, responding to CNN, denied reports of sending ballistic missiles to Russia. It said, "The Islamic Republic considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict — which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from cease-fire negotiations — to be inhumane."

Increasing cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia in recent years has led Western countries to impose several extensive sanction packages on Iranian individuals and institutions.

Experts indicate that Russia's current ballistic missile arsenal includes domestically produced missiles and those manufactured in North Korea, which are known for their low accuracy.