Report: Arrested Iranian nationals were planning attack on Israeli Embassy in London
Unsourced report in The Times says ‘it’s understood the embassy was the main target’ of alleged plot, which minister has called one of ‘the biggest counter-state threats’ in years
Eight Iranian men arrested in the United Kingdom over the weekend are suspected of plotting to attack the Israeli Embassy in London, according to an unsourced report Wednesday in The Times newspaper.
“Police have refused to publicize details of the alleged plot, but it is understood the embassy was the main target,” said the report, without naming sources.
“Dan Jarvis, the security minister, refused to give details of the immigration status of the suspects citing the continuing police inquiry,” the newspaper added.
There was no immediate comment from Israel’s Foreign Ministry or the embassy.
After separate arrest operations of the men were conducted in counter-terrorism operations on Saturday, British Interior Minister Yvette Cooper called the operations “some of the biggest counter-state threats” the country had seen in recent years.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said earlier this week that “the investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter.”
British media on Tuesday reported mounting speculation that the seven Iranians and one other person arrested over the weekend had been “hours away” from carrying out an attack on a synagogue or a location linked to London’s Jewish community, though there was no confirmation of the reports.
Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister Alireza Yousefi on Wednesday called for immediate clarification on the arrests and for consular access to the detainees.
“The police announcements and statements made in the British Parliament against the Islamic Republic of Iran following the questionable arrest of a number of Iranian nationals indicate their disregard for fundamental legal norms and human rights,” Yousefi said.
He criticized what he called a “habit” among British politicians of making “baseless and undocumented claims,” and warned that such rhetoric only deepens historical distrust between the two nations.
The arrests come at a time of heightened scrutiny of Iran-backed activities in the UK, with Britain saying it has responded to more than 20 such plots since 2022, and imposing sanctions on a Swedish-based criminal network linked to Iran for targeting Israeli and Jewish interests in Europe.
Agencies and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.