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British counterterror police are investigating whether or not suspected Iranian proxies are behind a wave of arson assaults concentrating on Jewish websites in London, as a chief rabbi warned that such assaults are escalating.
The Metropolitan Police mentioned specialised counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues, Jewish-linked services and a Persian-language media firm crucial of Iran’s regime.
The most recent incident triggered minor injury to a north London synagogue Saturday evening. No accidents have been reported in any of the blazes, which all occurred inside a number of miles of one another.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans mentioned investigators are analyzing claims by a gaggle calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which has taken duty for a number of assaults. The group’s identify means Islamic Motion of the Companions of the Proper.
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Law enforcement officials patrol close to Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, a suburb of London, on April 19, 2026. (Jamie Lashmar/PA)
“We’re conscious of public reporting that implies this group could have hyperlinks to Iran. As you’ll anticipate, we’ll proceed to discover that query as our investigation evolves,” she mentioned.
“I’ve spoken beforehand in regards to the Iranian regime’s use of felony proxies, and we’re contemplating whether or not this tactic is getting used right here in London,” Evans added.
Authorities say the group — which Israel has described as a potential Iranian proxy — has additionally claimed synagogue assaults in Belgium and the Netherlands.
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Police have flooded northwest London with extra officers after a sequence of incidents in current weeks, together with the torching of four Jewish charity ambulances within the Golders Inexperienced neighborhood on March 23.
A police officer investigates after an tried arson assault at Finchley Reform Synagogue in north London on April 15, 2026. Metropolitan Police are searching for two suspects after bottles believed to include gasoline had been thrown on the constructing. (Toby Shepheard/AFP/Getty Pictures)
A number of suspects, starting from youngsters to folks of their 40s, have already been arrested and charged.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned on X that “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation in opposition to the Jewish neighborhood of the UK is gathering momentum.”
“Thank God, no lives have been misplaced, however we can not, and should not, watch for that to vary earlier than we perceive simply how harmful this second is for all of our society,” he added.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, calling the assaults “abhorrent” and vowing these accountable “will probably be discovered and dropped at justice.”
Police are seen outdoors a synagogue in London on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, following an tried arson assault. (Toby Shepheard/AFP/Getty Pictures)
The risk stage rose additional after the group launched a video claiming it could goal Israel’s embassy in London with drones carrying hazardous substances. Police shut down close by Kensington Gardens whereas investigating suspicious objects however mentioned no harmful supplies had been discovered.
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British officers have lengthy warned that Iran makes use of felony networks to hold out assaults in Europe. MI5 says it disrupted greater than 20 doubtlessly deadly Iran-linked plots up to now yr.
Police issued a blunt warning to any “thugs for rent” concerned in such assaults.
“Let’s be actually clear — it’s a mug’s sport,” mentioned Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes. “That’s what people who find themselves now serving lengthy jail sentences have discovered, and the identical destiny awaits these answerable for these current crimes.”
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Investigators say the probe stays ongoing as authorities work to find out whether or not the assaults are a part of a coordinated foreign-backed marketing campaign.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
