German authorities raid properties linked to group suspected of promoting Iranian ideology

BERLIN (AP) — The German government says police have raided 54 locations across the country in an investigation of a Hamburg-based organization suspected of promoting the Iranian leadership’s ideology and possibly supporting activities of Hezbollah in Germany. The Interior Ministry says the Islamic Center Hamburg has long been under observation by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. It says the activities of the group are aimed at spreading the “revolutionary concept” of Iran’s supreme leader. Authorities are also looking into suspicions that it supports banned activities in Germany by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, which has repeatedly traded fire with Israel across the Israel-Lebanon border since Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza last month.