Four Arrested in the UK on Suspicion of Espionage for Iran
The arrests were carried out by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism command at three separate addresses across the UK capital.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — British counterterrorism police arrested four men on Friday on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service by conducting surveillance on locations and individuals connected to London’s Jewish community, authorities said.
The arrests were carried out by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism command at three separate addresses across the UK capital. According to a police statement, the suspects include one Iranian national and three dual British-Iranian nationals.
Helen Flanagan, head of counterterrorism policing at the Metropolitan Police, said the arrests were part of a “long-running investigation.”
“We understand the public may be concerned, in particular the Jewish community, and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us,” Flanagan said.
Police also detained six additional men at one of the locations on suspicion of assisting an offender. All have been taken into custody as investigations continue.
British authorities, including police, the domestic intelligence agency MI5, and members of parliament, have repeatedly warned about an increasing security threat linked to Iran. The warnings come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran currently engaged in a conflict involving the United States and Israel.
In October, MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum revealed that UK security services had identified “more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots” over the previous year.
According to British officials, individuals allegedly targeted by Iranian-linked activities in the UK have included Iranian dissidents and journalists.