Four men have been arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of spying for Iran after allegedly conducting surveillance on individuals and locations connected to the Jewish community. The Metropolitan Police Service announced the arrests as part of an ongoing national security investigation under the National Security Act, focusing on suspected surveillance activities targeting specific people and sites linked to the Jewish community.
Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London detained one Iranian national and three dual British-Iranian nationals shortly after 1 a.m. during coordinated operations in Barnet and Harrow in north London, as well as in Watford.Police said two suspects, aged 40 and 55, were arrested at addresses in Barnet, a 52-year-old man was arrested in Watford, and a 22-year-old man was detained in Harrow. Searches were also conducted at multiple properties in Barnet, Watford, and Wembley.
During the same operation, six additional men, aged between 20 and 49, were arrested at a property in Harrow on suspicion of assisting an offender, with one also charged with assaulting a police officer. All ten men remain in custody as the investigation continues. Helen Flanagan, commander of Counter Terrorism Policing London, described the arrests as part of a long-running national security operation. She urged the public, particularly the Jewish community, to remain vigilant and report any concerning activity.
The arrests come amid heightened tensions following military operations by and the against Iran and retaliatory attacks across the Middle East.Speaking in parliament, Keir Starmer warned that Iran had directed threats toward dissidents and the Jewish community in the UK, noting that several Iran-linked plots had been disrupted over the past year.
Ken McCallum, head of MI5, said officers had tracked more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-linked plots within a single year. Shabana Mahmood thanked security services and police for safeguarding the public, saying that both the Jewish community and the wider public would understandably be concerned and that authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
Priti Patel said the alleged surveillance highlighted antisemitism within Iran’s leadership. Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, expressed gratitude to the police for their response.However, the Campaign Against Antisemitism criticised the government for not formally banning Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, arguing that stronger measures are needed to address the ongoing threat.
Source; https://m.lindaikejisblog.com/
