World News
Two Arrested in London in Iran-Linked Security Investigation
A man and woman were arrested in London on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service in an Iran-related investigation. Police stressed there is no immediate threat to the public, and the suspects were released on bail under strict conditions until October.
(Photo: unplash)British police arrested two people in London as part of an investigation into suspected violations of the National Security Act, centered on allegations of assisting a foreign intelligence service linked to Iran. London’s Counter Terrorism Command said the two were arrested yesterday (Wednesday), following an investigation that has been underway since June.
The suspects are a 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man. They were arrested on suspicion of an offense under Section 3 of the UK National Security Act 2023, which concerns assisting a foreign intelligence service. The arrests followed searches conducted by investigators on June 24 at two residential addresses in north and northwest London. After the arrests, a third residential property in northwest London was also searched on September 9.
Both suspects were taken to a London police station and later released on bail under strict conditions, until a date to be set at the end of October.
Police emphasized that the investigation is not connected to incidents or attacks that took place earlier this year against buildings and sites associated with Jewish and Iranian communities across London. They also clarified that the investigation is unrelated to activities or events connected to the upcoming Tishrei holiday season.
Helen Flanagan, commander of London’s Counter Terrorism Command, sought to reassure the public: "We know the news of these arrests will cause concern among some members of the public, but I want to emphasize that we do not believe there is an immediate threat to the wider public in connection with this case."
According to her, there has been a significant increase over the past year in police activity involving national security and threats from foreign states: "As we have shown here, if we suspect that any activity could threaten Britain’s security or the public, we will not hesitate to act."
Flanagan noted that Britain’s overall terrorism threat level is classified as "severe," and called on the public to remain vigilant and report anything that appears or sounds unusual to the authorities.
