Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran’s intelligence service by spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London.
Detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing London said the men – one Iranian national and three dual British/Iranian nationals, were detained shortly after 1am on Friday at addresses in Barnet, Watford and Harrow as part of a pre-planned operation.
The Metropolitan Police said the men arrested were 52, 40, 55, and 22, with searches ongoing at their addresses.
Six other men, aged 29, 39, 42, 49 and two aged 20, were arrested at the same location in Harrow on suspicion of assisting an offender.
It is understood a member of the Jewish community had tipped off the Met about the arrested individuals.
Counter-terrorism officers were seen entering an address in Brookdene Avenue, Watford, on Friday, with the property eventually cordoned off with police tape.
The front door had been forced open and police vehicles were parked on the street.
In Finchley, police wearing blue gloves were checking the engine and the undercarriage of a Skoda Fabia in Sandringham Gardens.
A number of officers entered a semi-detached property on the quiet street, with a cordon temporarily set up to stop through traffic.
A resident of the street in Watford, who did not want to be named, said: “They keep themselves to themselves.
“The woman who originally lived in the house passed away and she gifted it to a family member. It was renovated about two years ago. I have only ever interacted with (a) wave.
“Nothing like this really happens around here. It is quite a multi-cultural street.”
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “Today’s arrests are part of a long-running investigation and part of our ongoing work to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it.
“We understand the public may be concerned, in particular the Jewish community, and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the police and security services “won’t hesitate to take action” to keep Britain safe “from a potential threat”.
Posting on X, she said: “The Jewish community and the wider public will understandably be concerned by today’s arrests. We continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with those affected.
“I can reassure you that our police and security services are world leading and won’t hesitate to take action to counter any threat to the UK.
“They will continue to use the full range of tools and powers available to them to keep this country safe. They have the government’s full support as they carry out their vital work.
I want to thank the police and our security services for the action they’ve taken today to keep Britain safe from a potential threat.
— Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) March 6, 2026
The Jewish community and the wider public will understandably be concerned by today's arrests. We continue to monitor the situation closely and…
“We must now give them the time and space to continue their investigations.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy praised the work of MI5 and counter-terrorism police but declined to give further details about the arrests.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism globally and sadly, that is in effect in our own society as well.
“Our intelligence services and counter-terrorism police have thwarted lots of action over the last few years.
“This is now a live investigation, so I won’t comment on that any further, except to thank our security staff and police for continuing to keep our people safe and doing everything they can where people would cause us harm and individuals in our country harm.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it is grateful to police “for foiling this alleged plot”, but accused the UK Government of not taking the threat from Iran seriously.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “This is a stark reminder of the serious threat the Iranian regime poses on British soil.
“The alleged attempts to spy on the British Jewish community highlight the foul antisemitism at the heart of the fundamentalist regime in Tehran.
“Having dithered over taking action against Iran’s murderous regime and undermined our relationships with our allies, Keir Starmer must show he will put the national security of Britain first and end the scourge of Iranian espionage in our country.”
Lord Walney, the government’s former independent adviser on political violence, who will next week publish a report on the Iranian regime’s infiltration of the UK charity sector, told the Independent that the "hated Islamic Republican Guards Corp - the foot soldiers of the regime who are equipped to carry out violence on British streets - are supported by a network that reaches across many parts of public life in the UK.”
