The fear of Islamist sleeper cells awakening in Europe has surged into the spotlight as the US-Israeli strikes on Iran — culminating in the February 28, 2026, assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion — enter their sixth day (as of March 4, 2026). Germany, in particular, is on high alert, with security officials, lawmakers, and experts warning that Tehran could activate long-dormant networks for retaliation on European soil. The RMX News article captures the mood: authorities fear Iranian-linked "Islamist sleeper cells" targeting Israeli, U.S., Jewish institutions, or even soft targets, potentially in the name of the mullah regime or broader jihadist causes.
This isn't baseless paranoia — it's rooted in Iran's historical playbook and the current escalation. Tehran has long maintained proxy and covert capabilities abroad via the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups like Hezbollah. Past examples include alleged plots against dissidents in Europe (e.g., foiled assassinations in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands in the 2010s–2020s), the 1994 AMIA bombing in Argentina tied to Hezbollah/Iran, and more recent disruptions like the 2022–2023 arrests across Europe for suspected IRGC-linked surveillance of Jewish sites.
The Current Trigger: Fatwa, Proxies, and Escalation
A pivotal accelerant came March 1, when Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa calling for holy war against the US and Israel following Khamenei's death. German extremism expert Heiko Heinisch told Euronews the risk of "spontaneous single-offence attacks and the activation of sleeper cells" is now "relatively high." Terrorism researcher Nicolas Stockhammer described the fatwa as an "accelerant" that could mobilise existing networks, sympathisers, and "hybrid actors" with a diffuse, transnational base.
German officials echo this:
• Marc Henrichmann (head of parliamentary oversight for intelligence services) told Süddeutsche Zeitung: "Retaliatory measures, including by Iranian sleeper cells in Europe, cannot be ruled out." He noted Iran's history of conducting terror beyond its borders.
• Felix Klein (Germany's anti-Semitism commissioner) warned of an "increased threat to Jewish life," with potential attacks on Jewish/Israeli institutions.
• State-level interior ministers (e.g., Roman Poseck in Hesse) assume an elevated abstract threat, prompting stepped-up protections and continuous threat assessments.
• A senior state security official (quoted anonymously in German media) highlighted the rising risk of sabotage or attacks by cells acting for the regime.
France has followed suit: Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez placed domestic security on alert, instructing prefects to report any influence or destabilization linked to the conflict. Broader European intelligence shares concerns about Hezbollah sleeper cells (with established European presence) or even opportunistic Islamist actors exploiting the chaos.
Who Are These "Sleeper Cells"?
Sleeper cells refer to covert operatives or sympathizers embedded in host societies — often immigrants, students, or diaspora members — who live ordinary lives until activated. In Iran's case:
• IRGC-Quds Force networks — Recruit or coerce individuals for surveillance, logistics, or kinetic ops.
• Hezbollah Europe — Long-standing infrastructure (fundraising, logistics) in Germany, Belgium, France, etc., with past arrests for terror financing.
• Hybrid threats — Radicalised individuals or small groups inspired by the fatwa, not directly controlled but motivated by events.
• Targets likely prioritise symbolic sites: synagogues, Israeli embassies/consulates, US bases/military facilities, or high-profile Jewish community events.
The fear is amplified by Iran's multi-front retaliation: missile/drone strikes on US bases in Iraq/Jordan/Syria/Saudi Arabia, maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz (now declared closed, with threats to fire on passing ships), and proxy activations (Iraqi militias like Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada vowing attacks). If Tehran seeks asymmetric leverage, Europe — home to large Iranian diaspora communities and symbolic Western targets — offers low-risk, high-impact options.
Broader Context and Skepticism
This echoes post-9/11 patterns: major Middle East escalations (e.g., Soleimani's 2020 killing) sparked similar alerts, with few major attacks materialising in Europe. Iran's capabilities abroad have been degraded by Israeli ops (e.g., assassinations of IRGC figures in Europe), intelligence penetrations, and proxy setbacks (Hezbollah weakened post-2025). Many plots foiled in recent years relied on poor tradecraft.
Yet the stakes feel higher now: Khamenei's death decapitates leadership at a fragile moment, with protests inside Iran and regime hardliners pushing vengeance. A fatwa adds religious legitimacy, potentially radicalizing lone actors or dormant networks. European security services are on highest alert, with increased patrols, monitoring of diaspora networks, and intelligence sharing via Europol/Interpol.
For everyday Europeans, this means visible changes: heightened security at Jewish sites, synagogues, community centers, and possibly transport hubs. Governments urge vigilance without panic, report suspicious activity, but avoid stigmatising communities, to keep the "melting pot" from melting even more.
As the war grinds on (attrition in munitions, oil shocks, regional proxy flare-ups), the sleeper-cell threat remains a wildcard. If Iran opts for terror abroad, it risks unifying Western resolve against it; if it refrains, it signals restraint amid internal chaos. Either way, Europe braces for the shadow war spillover, hoping the fears stay just that: fears.
https://www.infowars.com/posts/high-alert-intelligence-experts-warn-of-sleeper-cells-on-us-soil