Hussain Hazbavi 
British counter-terrorism authorities have arrested seven Iranian nationals in two separate operations, one of which involved an alleged plot to launch a terrorist attack targeting a specific site in England.
The first operation, carried out on Saturday, resulted in the arrest of five men aged between 29 and 46. The coordinated raids took place across several locations, including Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Four of those arrested were confirmed to be Iranian nationals and were detained under the Terrorism Act 2006. A fifth man, whose nationality has not been disclosed, was arrested under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. All five remain in custody while authorities continue searches at multiple addresses across England.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, stated: “We are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them informed. Our investigation is following multiple lines of inquiry to determine the suspects’ motives and assess whether there is any ongoing threat to public safety.”
Officials have not released details about the intended target or whether any weapons or materials were recovered, citing the sensitivity of the investigation.
In a separate and unrelated operation, police arrested three additional Iranian nationals in London on the same day. These individuals were detained under Section 27 of the National Security Act 2023, which allows for arrests linked to suspected “foreign power threat activity.”
While the two operations are not believed to be connected, they come at a time of heightened concern about Iranian-linked threats in the UK.
In a recent warning, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum revealed that British intelligence had disrupted at least 20 potentially lethal plots linked to the Iranian regime since January 2022. “Iranian state actors make extensive use of criminals as proxies—from international drug traffickers to low-level crooks,” McCallum said in a public statement.
