London: The Metropolitan Police announced the arrest of a fourth Iranian man, aged 31, in north-west London on Friday morning as part of ongoing counter-terror investigations under the National Security Act.
According to Kuwait News Agency, three other Iranian men, aged 39, 44, and 55, were previously arrested in London on May 3 as part of the same investigation. Police have secured warrants to detain these three individuals until May 17. This investigation is distinct from another involving an alleged plot targeting the Israeli embassy in London, for which four Iranian men remain under questioning, while a fifth has been released on bail.
Police conducted searches at two locations in north-west London on Friday and confirmed that all four men are detained under section 27 of the National Security Act 2023. This section allows for the detention of individuals suspected of "foreign power threat activity."
On Tuesday, Home Office minister Dan Jarvis characterized the two separate investigations as significant counter-state threats and counter-terrorism actions. He noted that the arrested men are the first Iranian nationals apprehended under the National Security Act.
Iran is notably the first country listed at the top level of the foreign influence registration scheme (Firs), which is designed to shield the UK from harmful foreign influence.