Israel Unmasks IRGC Commander Behind Global Jewish-Target Attack Network
Mossad names Sardar Ammar as head of Iranian terror cell responsible for plots in Australia, Greece and Germany
Israel’s intelligence service has publicly identified senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Sardar Ammar as the orchestrator of a sprawling terror network that carried out attacks against Jewish and Israeli institutions in Australia, Greece and Germany.
The disclosure marks one of the most direct attributions to date of state-sponsored terror operations beyond the Middle East.
According to the statement, the network — referred to as “Unit 11,000” — operated under the command of Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, and comprised approximately 11,000 operatives.
The network is alleged to have mounted arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024, carried out reconnaissance in Berlin in 2025, and orchestrated attacks on a hotel and synagogue in Athens in July 2024.
In Australia the network is alleged to have employed organised-crime proxies to mask Iranian involvement.
Incidents include the October 2024 fire at Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a kosher restaurant in Sydney, and the December 2024 firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne.
Intelligence services reported that operatives twice targeted the wrong Sydney venue before executing the correct attack.
These revelations followed earlier determinations by Australia’s Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that the IRGC orchestrated at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, prompting the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador and suspension of diplomatic operations in Tehran.
The Israeli agency said the exposure of Ammar and Unit 11,000 removes Tehran’s ability to plausibly declare deniability and imposes a significant diplomatic cost.
It also underscores a broader shift in the IRGC’s tactics — moving from regional proxy campaigns to what Israel describes as “terror without Iranian fingerprints” in multiple Western countries.
Iran has denied the accusations and dismissed the naming of specific individuals as part of a broader Israeli intelligence campaign aimed at isolating Tehran internationally.
The head of the IRGC has reiterated Iran’s right to act abroad in defence of its interests.
The move signals a heightened era of transparency in Western counter-terror partnerships and marks one of the most public exposures of a state-sponsored terror network operating on multiple continents.
Participating domestic agencies in Australia, Greece and Germany are now pursuing investigations and possible prosecutions tied to the exposed infrastructure.
As officials review legal and diplomatic responses, the naming of Sardar Ammar may serve as a watershed moment in how democracies confront covert aggression by hostile states.
The disclosure marks one of the most direct attributions to date of state-sponsored terror operations beyond the Middle East.
According to the statement, the network — referred to as “Unit 11,000” — operated under the command of Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, and comprised approximately 11,000 operatives.
The network is alleged to have mounted arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024, carried out reconnaissance in Berlin in 2025, and orchestrated attacks on a hotel and synagogue in Athens in July 2024.
In Australia the network is alleged to have employed organised-crime proxies to mask Iranian involvement.
Incidents include the October 2024 fire at Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a kosher restaurant in Sydney, and the December 2024 firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne.
Intelligence services reported that operatives twice targeted the wrong Sydney venue before executing the correct attack.
These revelations followed earlier determinations by Australia’s Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that the IRGC orchestrated at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, prompting the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador and suspension of diplomatic operations in Tehran.
The Israeli agency said the exposure of Ammar and Unit 11,000 removes Tehran’s ability to plausibly declare deniability and imposes a significant diplomatic cost.
It also underscores a broader shift in the IRGC’s tactics — moving from regional proxy campaigns to what Israel describes as “terror without Iranian fingerprints” in multiple Western countries.
Iran has denied the accusations and dismissed the naming of specific individuals as part of a broader Israeli intelligence campaign aimed at isolating Tehran internationally.
The head of the IRGC has reiterated Iran’s right to act abroad in defence of its interests.
The move signals a heightened era of transparency in Western counter-terror partnerships and marks one of the most public exposures of a state-sponsored terror network operating on multiple continents.
Participating domestic agencies in Australia, Greece and Germany are now pursuing investigations and possible prosecutions tied to the exposed infrastructure.
As officials review legal and diplomatic responses, the naming of Sardar Ammar may serve as a watershed moment in how democracies confront covert aggression by hostile states.
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