Iranian nationals held over UK terror plot 'had been under surveillance for weeks'

IRANIAN nationals arrested on terror charges had been under surveillance "for quite some time", security experts said last night. On Saturday, five men - four of them Iranian nationals -were detained on suspicion of terrorism offences over a plot to target specific premises. The arrests took place in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester.

In a separate operation on the same day, three more Iranian nationals were arrested in London in connection with a different counter-terrorism investigation, according to a separate statement from the Metropolitan Police. Sources say intended targets included a synagogue and other sites linked to Britain's Jewish community.

The arrests are believed to have occurred shortly before the alleged attacks were due to be carried out.

Iran is no stranger to hostile operations on UK soil.

Last year, MI5 director general Ken McCallum revealed that his agency and police had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots posing potentially lethal threats to British citizens and residents since January 2022.

Both the Foreign and Home , Office as well Security Minister Dan Jarvis, have issued cryptic warnings in recent weeks about Iran's increasingly brazen activities.

However, these latest terror arrests mark a departure from Tehran's usual playbook.

Typically, Iran relies on its extensive network in London to subcontract operations to criminal gangs or jihadist groups with no direct affiliation to the regime.

The use of Iranian nationals this time signals a far riskier approach - especially given Tehran's ongoing efforts to persuade the UK, Germany and France to align with the US on reviving nuclear talks.

These negotiations, first initiated by President Donald Trump, are seen as critical to a regime experts believe is rapidly running out of funds.

While few expect Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, officials say it is desperate to buy time to avoid further Israeli airstrikes.

More importantly, the talks offer hope of relief from Trump's so-called "maximum pressure" campaign and a chance to stave off new sanctions once the current nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), expires in October.

Trump withdrew from the JCPOA during his first term in 2018, calling it unfair and rendering it effectively defunct.

In the meantime, Iran has continued enriching uranium while working to perfect a delivery system for a nuclear weapon.

Last Thursday, the Sibylline strategic risk group issued a warning about impending Iranian activity, following the arrest of a man of Iranian descent who allegedly attempted an attack on the Israeli embassy in London.

"The incident underscores the heightened security risks facing Israeli and Jewish institutions since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023," the group said.

"There has also been a significant increase in reported antisemitic incidents, with the highest number occurring in London.

"We assess that these elevated risks will persist as the Israel-Hamas war continues.

"While most threats stem from lone actors, Iran retains both the intent and capability to conduct 'grey zone' attacks across Europe."

Last month, the UK sanctioned the notorious Foxtrot network, a Sweden-based criminal gang with Iranian backing and links across Europe' as part of an effort to disrupt Tehran's influence.

Iran has also been placed in the "enhanced tier" of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), reflecting growing concern in Whitehall.

Speaking last night, Iran expert Potkin Azarmehr, a fellow at the Forum for Foreign Relations think tank, said: "There have been many warnings about terrorism and grey zone operations being planned by the Iranian regime on British soil.

"It is likely these latest arrests concern acts that had been in the pipeline for some time.

"Judging by recent government statements, it's also fair to assume that those arrested had been under surveillance for quite a while."

He added: "What's most surprising is that Iran used its own nationals to carry out these plots instead of relying on criminal proxies, as it usually does.

"It's a very high-risk move-there's little plausible deniability.

"Either criminal gangs considered the risk too great and refused the job, or - and this seems very possible - Iran has simply run out of the money it normally uses to pay them.

"That, in itself, is a telling indictment of the dire economic straits in which the regime now finds itself."