by Temitope Oladeji
5/5/2025
Security agents in the United Kingdom have arrested eight men, and seven of them are Iranian nationals who are in connection with two separate investigations into suspected threats to national security.
The United Kingdom Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests on Sunday, stating that five men were detained on suspicion of “preparation of a terrorist act,” while three others were apprehended under new national security laws introduced in 2023 to counter foreign state interference and espionage.
In the first operation, conducted on Saturday, counterterrorism officers arrested four Iranian nationals and a fifth man whose nationality has not yet been confirmed in coordinated raids across London, Swindon, and Greater Manchester.
The arrests were made in connection with what authorities described as a “suspected plot to target a specific premises.”
The individuals, aged between 29 and 46, were detained under the Terrorism Act and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
“This is a fast-moving investigation,” said Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counterterrorism Command. “We are actively pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to determine the potential motive and assess any ongoing risk to the public.”
In a separate operation on the same day, police arrested three more Iranian nationals—aged 39, 44, and 55 in London under the 2023 National Security Act.
That legislation expanded law enforcement powers to counter “state threats,” including acts of foreign interference and espionage. Authorities have emphasized that this second set of arrests is not connected to the earlier five.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the threats as “serious” and affirmed that the government is working closely with police and intelligence agencies to ensure public safety. “We will not tolerate threats to our national security,” she said.
The arrests come amid mounting concerns over suspected Iranian activity on British soil. Last year, the head of MI5 revealed that UK intelligence services had disrupted 20 Iran-linked plots since 2022, describing them as “potentially lethal.”
In recent years, the UK has witnessed a series of high-profile incidents allegedly tied to Iranian operatives.
These include the 2023 conviction of an Austrian national for conducting “hostile reconnaissance” of the London offices of Iran International, a media outlet critical of the Iranian government.
In 2024, a journalist of Iranian origin working for the same outlet was stabbed in London. Earlier this year, a former British soldier received a 14-year prison sentence after being convicted of spying for Iran.
Iran has consistently denied involvement in any plots targeting the UK. In March, Tehran summoned the British ambassador to formally protest the accusations.
In October, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused the UK of harboring “terrorist” groups that, he claimed, incite violence against Iran.