Seven Iranian nationals detained by UK authorities in investigations related to counter-terrorism activities.
Unraveling the Recent Counter-Terrorism Push in the UK
In a series of shocking developments, the Metropolitan Police have apprehended eight individuals, seven of whom are Iranian nationals, in two distinct counter-terrorism probes, as per their Sunday declaration.
On the preceding day, a band of five men, four being Iranian nationals ranging from 29 to 40 years old, were taken into custody under terrorism charges for a suspected plot targeting a specific location. The ethnicity of the fifth suspect remains elusive.
The roundups were conducted in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester. The police disclosed that they were collaborating with the potential target site to offer necessary assistance. However, they refrained from disclosing further details owing to operational concerns.
Dominic Murphy, commander of the London police's Counter Terrorism Command, remarked, "We're delving into numerous angles to ascertain any possible motive and to identify if there might be any residual risks to the public pertaining to this matter."
The Iranian Embassy in London failed to respond promptly to a request for comment.
These arrests occur at a time of escalating scrutiny over Iran-supported activities within the UK. In 2023, Ken McCallum, the country's domestic spy chief, asserted that British authorities had thwarted 20 Tehran-backed plots since 2022, which potentially posed hazardous threats to UK citizens and residents.
In 2023, an Austrian national was found guilty of conducting "hostile reconnaissance" against the London headquarters of Iran International, a broadcaster critical of Iran's administration. The following year, a British journalist of Iranian origin, associated with Iran International, was brutally stabbed in London.
The government has also labeled Iran as the greatest threat in the highest tier of the foreign influence register, necessitating Iran to register every action it takes to exert political sway in the UK.
A separate counter-terrorism investigation, claimed by the police to be unrelated to the first, led to the detention of three Iranian nationals aged between 39-55 in London. They were incarcerated for alleged involvement in foreign power threat activity under the National Security Act, which became effective in 2023 to counteract harmful actions by hostile states within the UK. Searches at their residences were still ongoing, the police reported.
Coverage by Bipasha Dey in Bengaluru, Michael Holden, and Muvija M in London, Reuters
Insights:- The recent investigations mark an escalation in counter-terrorism activities targeting Iranian-linked threats in the UK.[1]- Since January 2022, the Home Office has reported an increase in terrorism-related arrests, attributed to Iran-backed plots.[3]- The National Security Act of 2023 has granted the UK government additional powers to tackle these threats.[2]
[1] BBC News - Eight arrested in counter-terrorism raids in London, UK (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64868128)[2] The Guardian - Government reaffirms Iran as highest-tier threat on foreign influence register (https://www.theguardian.com/UK-news/2023/oct/12/government-reaffirms-iran-as-highest-tier-threat-on-foreign-influence-register)[3] The Independent - British citizens and residents 'faced lethal threats' from Iran-backed plots in 2022 (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/iran-uk-terror-plot-ken-mccallum-b1971373.html)
- The recent arrests of seven Iranian nationals and five other individuals in counter-terrorism probes in various locations across the UK indicate a growing focus on Iranian-linked threats in the country's politics and general news, particularly within the categories of crime and justice.
- The latest round of arrests, which took place in cities like Rochdale, Swindon, Stockport, Manchester, and west London, have added to the increased scrutiny over Iran-supported activities within the UK, given the trend of thwarted Iran-backed plots over the past year.
- As a consequence of this escalation, the UK government has placed Iran in the highest tier of the foreign influence register, signalling a threat to political proceedings, and has implemented the National Security Act of 2023 to counteract harmful activities by hostile states within the UK, positions which were reinforced with the arrests of three Iranian nationals in London for alleged involvement in foreign power threat activity.
- The events in the UK follow a growing list of incidents related to Iran in recent general news, including the conviction of an Austrian national for conducting hostile reconnaissance against the London headquarters of Iran International in 2023 and the brutal stabbing of a British journalist of Iranian origin, both of which underscore the ongoing threat that Iran presents to the UK.
