British counter-terrorism police arrested eight people, including seven Iranian nationals, during raids across the country in two separate investigations, the Metropolitan Police announced on Sunday.
On Saturday, five men were taken into custody on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses linked to a plot targeting a specific location, Reuters reported. Four of the men are confirmed to be Iranian citizens, while the fifth man’s nationality remains unknown.
On Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said it had arrested another three people as part of an unrelated investigation. These arrests were made in London. Police have not disclosed further details of the suspected plot, citing operational concerns.
According to Reuters, seven of the eight people arrested are Iranians.
The arrests occurred in several locations, including Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester, the news agency reported.
The arrest came just “hours” before the suspects launched a terrorist attack on British soil, according to a The Telegraph report on Sunday.
“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,” Reuters quoted Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, as saying.
These developments come as the United Kingdom faces increasing concerns over Iran-linked terrorism, with authorities stating they have disrupted more than 20 such plots since 2022. Britain recently imposed sanctions on a Sweden-based criminal group with alleged ties to Tehran, accused of targeting Israeli and Jewish entities in Europe.
The Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) has said that Iran may have been involved in the explosions and gunfire that took place near the Israeli embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen last year.