Eye on Extremism: March 24, 2026
Top Stories
Iran International: Iran Guards commander warns US, Israel of strong response to any attack
A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that any threat or attack by the United States, Israel or others would be met with a “decisive response.” “We are at the highest level of readiness,” ground forces commander Mohammad Karami said, adding Iran’s forces “fear no power.”
A group that has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting Jewish institutions across Europe told CBS News it will continue targeting U.S. and Israeli interests a day after three men were captured by security cameras torching ambulances used by a global Jewish medical organization in London. Hours later, the little-known group claimed responsibility for another attack, in which a car was burned in a Jewish neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium.
CEP Mentions
New York Sun: The Hidden Network: How Iran’s Sleeper Cells Actually Operate on American Soil
“The threat level regarding terrorist attacks in the USA and Europe has increased due to the conflict with the Islamist regime in Iran,” Counter Extremism Project Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler tells the Sun. “Currently, however, it’s an abstract threat, meaning that it is likely the regime will attempt to carry out attacks in the USA and Europe as part of its hybrid warfare strategy, but no warnings about concrete attacks have been received until now.”
Dr Hans-Jacob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, emphasised that HAYI was unlikely to be a new terror group. Referring to their claims of attacks across Europe, Dr Schindler said: “Whether the perpetrators are connected, or whether it’s a framework the IRGC is giving them, is up for discussion.
Welt: “It could be the first sign of the regime’s collapse”
Iran has rejected statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding talks between the two countries. “It could be the first sign of a regime collapse,” says Middle East expert [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Analysis
Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic art may upset British Jews, but is it illegal? – analysis
It may be offensive, harmful, or antisemitic to exhibit drawings of Jews eating babies or standing on skulls, but is it illegal? This question arose on Monday in relation to the controversial art exhibition Drawings Against Genocide by British artist and art critic Matthew Collings, which is showing at Joseph Wales Studios in Margate, Kent.
United States
Less than 48 hours before the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone to President Donald Trump about the reasons for launching the kind of complex, far-off war the American leader once had campaigned against. Both Trump and Netanyahu knew from intelligence briefings earlier in the week that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his key lieutenants would soon meet at his compound in Tehran, making them vulnerable to a “decapitation strike” – an attack against a country's top leaders often used by Israelis but traditionally less so by the United States.
Iran International: US pays $129 million to victims of Iran-linked terrorism in New York case
The United States has paid $129 million to victims of Iran-linked terrorism as part of a broader $318 million settlement tied to a long-running case over a Manhattan office tower, prosecutors in New York said on Monday. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said the payment followed nearly two decades of litigation over assets connected to 650 Fifth Avenue, a 36-story building authorities said concealed financial interests of the Iranian government through Bank Melli.
A Chicago man has been charged with making an interstate threat after allegedly responding to Israel’s announcement on X about its killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by saying he planned to “shoot up a synagogue.” Timothy Holmes, 31, posted other antisemitic comments in response to posts about Israel, including “the jew will be destroyed and discarded,” “From the river to the sea every Jew will die” and “Die jew,” according to the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago.
A traffic stop earlier this month led to the arrest of two Venezuelan nationals and the seizure of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise believed to be stolen, authorities said. Juan A. Lugo Moreno, 20, and Leonardo A. Rivero Blanco, 25, were taken into custody on March 9 after deputies with the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office stopped their vehicle near mile marker 58 on Interstate 90 for a traffic violation, according to Interim Sheriff Travis Skinner.
Jewish News Syndicate: Federal jury convicts Lebanese-Syrian man of narco-terrorism
Antoine Kassis faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, after a federal jury convicted the Lebanese-Syrian man on narco-terrorism charges on Monday, the U.S. Justice Department said. The 59-year-old, who lives in Lebanon, is a “drug trafficker, who used his high-level access to the Syrian government under the Assad regime to traffic cocaine and weapons,” the federal government said. “Kassis laundered the proceeds of his drug trafficking through the organization of a Colombian co-conspirator.”
WSAV: Self-proclaimed terrorist sentenced to 70 months in prison
A Hinesville man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison after threatening to kill federal employees. Alexis Beatles, 44, has been sentenced to federal prison on two counts of interstate communication with threats to injure another. He was also fined $1,500 and will serve three years of supervised release after he serves time.
Europe
Euronews: Video. Iran has always been 'lethal spoiler,' EU counter-terror chief says
EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Bartjan Wegter told Euronews' flagship show Europe Today that instability, conflict or violence always creates opportunity for violence, including for the Tehran regime.
The Telegraph: The Iranian sleeper cell bringing terror to Europe
Until three weeks ago, few people had heard of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. There was no entry in any counter-terrorism database, no Telegram channel, no social media footprint and no history. But on Monday, the group, which has links to Iran’s network of proxies, and whose name translates as “Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right”, circulated footage of burning ambulances outside a synagogue in London, with its logo on Telegram.
Belgium
Times of Israel: Car torched in suspected antisemitic attack in Belgium
The torching of a car overnight in Antwerp, Belgium for which two minors were arrested, is being treated as a suspected antisemitic attack, a Belgian official said on Tuesday. European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands and Britain have witnessed incidents targeting the Jewish community since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28.
Two minors were arrested during the night between Monday and Tuesday in connection with an arson incident in Antwerp in a suspected antisemitic act, a Belgian official told Reuters on Tuesday. The emergent Islamist group Ashab al-Yamin claimed responsibility for the incident, publishing a video that appears to show three masked individuals setting a vehicle on fire.
Reuters: Belgium deploys soldiers to reinforce security at Jewish sites
Soldiers were deployed on the streets of leading Belgian cities on Monday to bolster security for the Jewish community, after what officials said were antisemitic attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands. The move follows an explosion this month at a synagogue in Liege that authorities called an antisemitic act.
Germany
Afghanistan International: Germany Rejects Taliban-Appointed Envoy To Afghan Embassy In Berlin
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it does not recognise any new appointment by the Taliban to Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin, following reports that the group has designated a new representative to lead the mission. The ministry said it would not accept any legal changes or new appointments at the embassy.
European Conservative: Berlin Police Raid Left-Wing Extremists Over Power Grid Attack
More than six months after a major arson attack on Berlin’s power supply, police staged a large-scale raid against suspects from the left-wing extremist scene. Around 500 officers searched 17 properties across Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Authorities said the investigation concerns suspected unconstitutional sabotage, the formation of a criminal organisation, and arson.
Deutsche Welle: Germany's AfD: The new neoliberal workers' party?
The state election in Rhineland-Palatinate was a success for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party: With 19.5% of the vote, the AfD more than doubled their result from the previous state election five years ago. That number was even slightly higher than the percentage the AfD got in the Baden-Württemberg election two weeks ago.
Romania
In January, protests took place in Bucharest and several other Romanian cities after lawmakers proposed amendments to the country’s anti-extremism legislation. Demonstrators gathered in central Bucharest raising concerns that the amendments could restrict freedom of expression. Supporters of the legislative changes argue that they are needed to strengthen Romania’s ability to address extremist propaganda in the current uprising of conservative and right wing parties, which have been accused by the opposition of dabbling with dangerous political messages.
United Kingdom
An attack on four Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green has shocked the nation as counterterrorism police are investigating the incident in northwest London. The incident is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime by the Metropolitan Police, but not as terrorism at this stage, although counterterrorism police are investigating an online claim by a suspected terror group that has taken responsibility for the attack.
An overhaul of the General Medical Council is expected to lead to more doctors that face accusations of racism and antisemitism on social media being struck off. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation on changes to the legislation governing the regulation of doctors, saying the move will lead to the biggest reform of the medical regulator, the GMC, in four decades.
Ukraine
BBC: Blast that injured two was 'terrorist attack', Ukrainian authorities say
Two police officers have been injured in an explosion that authorities say was a "terrorist act" in the town of Bucha near the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. An explosion occurred on a residential street in the early hours of Monday. When police arrived at the site, a second blast took place, injuring two officers.
Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal: Taliban Releases American Dennis Coyle After More Than a Year of Detention
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said it had released Dennis Coyle, a U.S. citizen detained in the country since early 2025. “Today, after more than a year of captivity in Afghanistan, Dennis Coyle is on his way home,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Afghanistan International: Militants Using Afghan Soil Will Be Eliminated, Says Pak President
Pakistan’s president said recent military operations against militant groups have produced significant results and warned that those supporting terrorism would be “eliminated”. Asif Ali Zardari made the remarks Monday in a statement marking Pakistan Day, saying the country faces security challenges both internally and along its borders.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Turn To Ex-US Advisers To Secure Foreign Aid
A document obtained by Afghanistan International shows Taliban authorities ordered the health ministry to hire a former US adviser to help secure international aid. The document describes Abdullah Israel Arian’s experience with foreigners as notable.
A Chinese researcher said the Taliban are unwilling to fully meet Beijing’s demands regarding the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, highlighting ongoing security concerns in Afghanistan. Liu Zongyi, director of the Centre of South Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, made the remarks in an interview with Guancha after a recent visit to Afghanistan.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Times of Israel: Police said to suspect terror motive in fatal ramming of settler teen
Police’s suspicion of a terror motive in the fatal ramming of an 18-year-old Israeli settler in the West Bank over the weekend has reportedly strengthened with time, the Haaretz daily reported Tuesday, though the investigation is still ongoing.
Iran
Iran International: Iran appoints ex-IRGC commander as security chief after Larijani killed
Iran has appointed Mohammad-Bagher Zolghadr, a senior former Revolutionary Guards commander, as secretary of its Supreme National Security Council, a deputy to the president said. Mehdi Tabatabaei, a deputy to President Masoud Pezeshkian, said in a post on X that the appointment was approved by the supreme leader and made by the president.
Iran International: Iran Guards warn of strikes on Israeli forces if civilians hit in Lebanon, Gaza
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they would target Israeli troop positions in northern Israel and the Gaza Strip if Israel attacks civilians in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
Iraq
Jerusalem Post: Iranian-backed militias claim 30 killed, wounded in US airstrikes on base
Iranian-backed militias affiliated with Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces say that up to 30 of their members were killed and wounded in airstrikes on one of their bases east of Baghdad in Iraq’s Anbar province.
Reuters: Airstrikes target HQ and leader of Iran-backed Shi'ite militia umbrella group in Iraq
Airstrikes hit a headquarters of Iraq's umbrella group for Iran-backed Shi'ite militias and a residence belonging to its leader on Tuesday, killing at least 15 fighters in an escalation of U.S.-Israeli strikes on one of Tehran's main regional allies. At least 30 other people were wounded in the strikes on a headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq's Euphrates valley province of Anbar, according to medical officials who said some were in serious condition and the death toll could rise. Reuters filmed ambulances bringing the wounded to hospital in the regional capital Ramadi during the night.
Reuters: Rocket attack kills six Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq's Kurdistan, sources say
At least six Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed and 30 wounded in a rocket attack on their base north of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, a Peshmerga statement and security sources said on Tuesday. A Peshmerga statement accused Iran of carrying out a “treacherous attack,”
Kurdistan24: Iraqi Military Intelligence Arrests ISIS Official and Assistant in Anbar Ambush
The Military Intelligence of the Iraqi Army announced Tuesday that its forces arrested an ISIS official and his assistant in an ambush operation in Anbar Province, according to a statement issued earlier in the day.
Israel
Jerusalem Post: WATCH: IDF destroys Hezbollah terror tunnel near Mount Dov, Lebanon border region
The IDF's 810th "Mountain" Brigade located and destroyed a Hezbollah terror tunnel near Mount Dov, along the Israel-Lebanon border in the Upper Galilee, the military announced on Tuesday.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Lebanon withdraws Iran envoy's accreditation, orders him to leave
Lebanon's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had withdrawn its approval of the Iranian ambassador's accreditation, giving him until Sunday to leave the country. The ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Lebanon and informed him of "the Lebanese state's decision to withdraw approval of the accreditation of the appointed Iranian ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, and declare him persona non grata, demanding that he leave Lebanese territory no later than next Sunday".
Lebanese terror group Hezbollah will fight to prevent Israeli troops from occupying southern Lebanon, one of the group’s top lawmakers, Hassan Fadlallah, tells Reuters, saying such an occupation would pose an “existential threat” to Lebanon as a state.
Naharnet: Israel says will take 'control' of security zone in south Lebanon up to Litani river
Israel said on Tuesday that its military would take control of south Lebanon up to the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, as deadly strikes pounded the country. In the latest unprecedented step by Lebanese authorities since a new war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's foreign ministry declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata, giving him until Sunday to leave the country.
India
Business Standard: 3 arrested over suspected terror links in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada
Three men have been arrested here for allegedly expressing support for extremist ideology on social media and suspected links to terror networks, a police official said on Tuesday. The accused are identified as Mohammad Rahmatulla Sharif (23), Mirza Sohail Baig (23), and Mohammad Danish (27), and they were found during surveillance of online activities linked to radical content and propaganda.
Congo
A rebel group in eastern Congo has detained civilians, including two journalists, in metal shipping containers without light or ventilation, an advocacy group said Tuesday. Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, said the Rwanda-backed M23, which controls parts of eastern Congo, used the containers in the city of Goma as makeshift detention cells under “inhumane” and “degrading” conditions.
Nigeria
Associated Press: An explosion in Nigeria’s Kwara state kills at least 1 person, police say
An explosion killed at least one person and injured an unspecified number of people Monday in Nigeria’s north-central Kwara state, police said, in the latest attack in an area where Muslim militants have been increasingly active. The explosion, believed to have been from an improvised explosive device, went off in the early morning in a village near Woro in the Kaiama district, in an area where an armed group slaughtered more than 160 people in February.
Australia
Hawkesbury Gazette: Oakville Community Alert: Far-Right Recruitment Targets Local Youth Online
Concerns have been raised after a far-right political organisation used a local Facebook community page to promote recruitment targeting young people in Oakville. Screenshots provided to The Hawkesbury Gazette show posts on the Oakville Residents Facebook page encouraging users to join a “youth movement” linked to the Australia First Party.
The Australian: Jewish man allegedly targeted with Nazi salutes at Crown Casino
A Jewish man has filmed the moment he confronted a group of men who allegedly performed a Nazi salute, and yelled “Heil Hitler” and “gas the Jews” at him and others outside Melbourne’s Crown Casino. In the video, filmed on March 14 at 11.50pm, the Jewish man approaches three men on the Crown promenade and can be heard saying: “Have you got something to say to me?” One of the alleged offenders, dressed in a black hoodie, denies knowing what antisemitism means as he is confronted the Jewish man.
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