Amidst the United States and Israel’s military campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxy network, Washington has a rare opportunity to confront Al Qaeda’s presence in Tehran.
Despite sectarian differences, the Islamic Republic and Al Qaeda have maintained a pragmatic relationship rooted in their shared hostility toward the United States and Israel. In the 1990s, Hezbollah provided Al Qaeda suicide bomb training in Lebanon with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilitation. After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, several Al Qaeda leaders fled to Iran, living under house arrest while also maintaining communications and logistical networks that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden urged the group to preserve.
The Islamic Republic and Al Qaeda have maintained a pragmatic relationship rooted in their shared hostility toward the United States and Israel.
Prominent Al Qaeda figures who have lived in Iran include Bin Laden’s sons Hamza and Saad, and Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (Abu Muhammad al Masri), a senior operative whom the Mossad allegedly killed in Tehran in November 2020 at the behest of the United States. Today, the group’s de facto leader, Saif al Adel, appears likely to be living in Iran. Adel’s presence in Iran highlights how the United States has long avoided confronting the Islamic Republic’s role in providing those culpable in the September 11 attacks a safe haven.
Before U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, Al Qaeda’s General Leadership condemned the buildup of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf, portraying it as part of a broader “Zionist-Crusader” campaign against Muslim lands rather than a threat directed solely at Iran. The statement also urged Islamist fighters to target U.S. bases in the region and claimed that aircraft carriers could be sunk, noting the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that did not sink.
When U.S. and Western military and counterterrorism officials warned that Iranian proxies could carry out retaliatory attacks against American targets in Europe and the Middle East if military action occurred, officials also noted that Al Qaeda might attempt a mass-casualty attack in Europe. The FBI released a photograph of Adel in connection with the threat, and some analysts warned that if war broke out, Iranian authorities might direct Al Qaeda operatives to carry out attacks in Europe or the Middle East.
The Trump administration also should not hesitate to target Iranian regime officials who knowingly sheltered Al Qaeda leaders.
With the Islamic Republic’s military defense and proxy network under strain, Tehran’s ability to protect outside actors has diminished. The Trump administration should deploy Special Operations Forces to locate Adel and other remaining Al Qaeda leaders inside Iran and bring them to justice. The President Donald Trump should invoke the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to validate such an action before Congress and the American public, which permits the use of necessary force against those responsible for the September 11 attacks.
The Trump administration also should not hesitate to target Iranian regime officials who knowingly sheltered Al Qaeda leaders and were aware of their activities inside the country. Should the administration decide to return to negotiations with Tehran, they must demand that Iran handover the group’s remaining leaders.
For years, Al Qaeda has benefited from its mutual arrangement with the Islamic Republic and its protection. With the regime now under pressure, that arrangement is weakening. If Washington acts, it could deal a blow to Al Qaeda’s leadership and hamper the organization’s efforts to rebuild its global network.
