Iranian men arrested in UK over London terror plot

“We acknowledge that the public might be worried and as always, I urge them to stay alert and report anything suspicious they see or hear,” stated a police official.

Seven Iranian individuals have been apprehended, along with an eighth person, in the United Kingdom after two separate counter-terrorism police probes. The Metropolitan Police disclosed that five of the men were detained in England on Saturday in a planned investigation involving a potential attack on a specific location. Out of the five, three were Iranian nationals.

In a distinct investigation, three more Iranian men were arrested in London on the same day under national security laws. The Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command mentioned that the two operations were not connected. The arrests took place in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester, with military personnel assisting in the Rochdale operation.

Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, stated, “The investigation is in its early stages, and we are pursuing various leads to determine any potential motives and assess if there is any further risk to the public linked to this case.”

In a separate operation on Saturday, three other Iranian men were detained in north-west and west London under the National Security Act. Officials reiterated that the two incidents were unrelated.

Home Department Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the seriousness of these events, stating, “These incidents underscore the ongoing need to adjust our response to national security threats.”

The identities of the suspects in both cases have not been disclosed by the police, and investigations are ongoing.