Two investigations included an answer to “an alleged plot to attack specific facilities,” said the Metropolitan Police
At least eight Iranian citizens were arrested during the weekend in two counter-terrorism operations carried out in the United Kingdom, under the suspicion of planning an attack against specific objectives, including Israel’s embassy in Kensington, west of London.
The British authorities feared that the attack was imminent, so the operation was described as one of the greatest of recent years. Four of the detainees were suspected of preparing an attackwhile the other three were arrested for allegedly involved in activities of threat of foreign power.
The arrests were made in several cities, such as Roughly, Manchester, Swindon y Stockportand were carried out by agents of the counter-terrorism police, supported by military personnel. A video of the operation showed the moment when one of the suspects was taken from a rochdale property. The detainees are ages among the 24 and 46 yearsand are currently in custody, being interrogated until May 10. A fifth detainee was released on bail.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper described operations as “Some of the biggest state threats” that the United Kingdom has faced in recent years. This intervention occurs while the British government has placed Iran at the highest level of its foreign influence registration, forcing Tehran to register all its political pressure activities in the country.
The news has generated great speculation in the British media, some of which indicated that the arrested Iranians and another person could have been “A hours” of carrying out an attack in a synagogue in Londonalthough these reports have not been confirmed by the authorities.
For its part, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the accusations that were made against the detainees, qualifying the statements as “unfounded and not documented.” Alireza Yousefi, General Director for Western Europe of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that “the unpleasant habit of some British officials of repeating accusations without foundation is, without a doubt, harmful to bilateral relations and aggravates the historical distrust of the Iranians towards the British government.” Yousefi requested that immediate information be provided about the reasons for the arrests.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed concern about arrests and wrote in X (formerly Twitter) that Iran is willing to collaborate in the investigations if “credible accusations of undue conduct” are established.
In this context, Ken McCallum, head of the Mi5 British Intelligence Service, declared last year that since 2022, British officers have responded to more than 20 plots backed by Iran that represented mortal threats for British citizens and residents. These plots include murder attempts and kidnappings aimed at Iranian dissidents and media organizations in the United Kingdom.
The tension between Iran and the United Kingdom has also intensified in a context of growing agitation in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Benjamín Netanyahu government has announced plans to “conquer” Gaza, which increases tensions in the region, with implications for security in the United Kingdom and other Western nations.
This event highlights the growing concerns about Iranian activities on British soil and the possible repercussions of Iran’s intervention in international conflicts.
Source: Infobae
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