BERLIN

German authorities initiated the arrest of a Danish national suspected of spying for Iran, officials announced on Tuesday.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that the suspect, identified only as Ali S., was detained in Aarhus, Denmark, by the Danish security and intelligence service PET.

“The accused is strongly suspected of having worked for a foreign power's intelligence service,” the office said, citing violations of Germany's criminal code.

According to the arrest warrant, Ali S. was tasked by Iranian intelligence in early 2025 “to gather information in Berlin about Jewish locations and specific Jewish individuals.”

“For this purpose, he surveilled three sites in June,” prosecutors said. “This presumably served to prepare further intelligence operations in Germany, possibly including attacks on Jewish targets.”

German authorities said the investigation stemmed from information provided by the BfV, Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

After his transfer from Denmark, the accused will be brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice, according to the statement.