U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London over the past month are the work of Iranian proxies. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues, Jewish charity ambulances, and an attack on a Persian-language media company critical of Iran’s government. No one has been injured in any of the incidents, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue on Saturday night.
The investigation represents a widening U.K. government concern about Iran’s use of criminal proxies to conduct attacks across Europe targeting opposition media and the Jewish community. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service said more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year to October.
Investigation unfolds into series of coordinated arson attacks
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said counterterror officers are investigating fires at synagogues, Jewish charity vehicles, and a media organization. The group claiming responsibility, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, has published material online; British security officials are examining whether it operates as an Iranian proxy cell or functions as a nominal claim of responsibility for actors without formal organizational structure.
“We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran,” Evans said. “As you would expect, we will continue to explore that question as our investigation evolves. I’ve spoken previously about the Iranian regime’s use of criminal proxies, and we’re considering whether this tactic is being used here in London.”
The incidents have occurred within a few miles of each other across northwest London over the past month. The most serious attack occurred on March 23, when four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set ablaze in the Golders Green neighborhood. The latest incident, on Saturday night, caused minor damage to a north London synagogue. No one has been injured in any of the attacks.
Israel’s government has described Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia as a recently founded group with suspected links to an Iranian proxy. The same group has claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to Israeli intelligence assessments.
Community and government condemn campaign
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned of an escalating threat. “A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum,” he said. “Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attacks. “This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain,” he said. “Those responsible will be found and brought to justice.”
Alleged threat against Israeli embassy
The group posted a video claiming that Israel’s London embassy would be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances. Police said the embassy was not attacked. Kensington Gardens park was shut Friday as officers examined discarded items, including two jars containing powder. Nothing harmful was found in the examined materials.
Several people ranging in age from teenagers to people in their 40s have been arrested and charged in connection with the incidents. Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes warned that further arrests would follow. “Let’s be really clear — it’s a mug’s game,” he said. “That’s what people who are now serving long prison sentences have found out, and the same fate awaits those responsible for these recent crimes.”
Broader pattern of Iran-backed proxy operations
The investigation reflects British government concerns about Iranian use of proxies for attacks on European soil. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service said it disrupted more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots in the year to October.
Some security experts cautioned against reading too much organizational coherence into the claimed attacks. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia is likely “a flag of convenience rather than a coherent group,” according to security analysts, and its claims should be treated with appropriate caution.