LONDON: British counter-terrorism police are investigating whether a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites across north-west London have been orchestrated by Iranian proxies, as a newly emerged Islamist group claims responsibility for the escalating campaign.
No injuries have been reported in any of the incidents, but the attacks — which include strikes on synagogues, Jewish charity ambulances, and a Persian-language media outlet critical of Tehran — have prompted an urgent security response and heightened fears within the Jewish community.
The latest attack occurred late Saturday night at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, where officers on routine patrol discovered damage to a window following what officials described as an arson attempt. The blaze caused minor smoke damage to a room inside the synagogue.
Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis condemned what he called “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK” that is “gathering momentum”.
“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,” Mirvis said in a statement on social media.
The attack on Kenton synagogue came just days after an attempted arson at Finchley Reform Synagogue shortly after midnight on Wednesday, and a Friday night incident in Hendon where a man placed three bottles containing fluid outside a building formerly used by Jewish Futures, an educational charity. The man fled when the bottles failed to fully ignite.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the Senior National Co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism, confirmed Sunday that investigators are actively exploring whether the attacks are linked to Iranian state actors.
“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 — recruiting violence as a service,” Evans told reporters outside Kenton United Synagogue.
“Individuals carrying out these crimes often have no allegiance to the cause and are taking quick cash for their crimes. To anyone even considering getting involved — my message to you would be this: the stakes are high, and it is absolutely not worth the risk for a small reward” .
A previously unknown group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia — the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right — has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks online. Israel’s government has described the group as a recently founded entity with suspected links to “an Iranian proxy” that has also claimed synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Some security experts have cautioned that the group may be a “flag of convenience” rather than a coherent organisation, suggesting its claims should be treated with caution.
Counter-terrorism police are now investigating at least five linked incidents across north-west London:
- March 23: Four ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer ambulance charity, were set on fire and left burnt out in Golders Green. Three people have been charged, with two additional 18-year-old men arrested on Thursday.
- April 15 (Wednesday): An attempted firebomb attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue occurred shortly after midnight . A 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man remain in custody.
- April 15 (Wednesday evening): An “ignited container” was thrown into the car park of Iran International’s offices in Wembley. The fire immediately extinguished, and three people — a 16-year-old boy and two men aged 19 and 21 — were arrested following a police pursuit.
- April 17 (Friday night): A man attempted to ignite three bottles of fluid outside a building formerly used by Jewish Futures in Hendon. He fled when the ignition failed, and no arrests have been made.
- April 18 (Saturday night): Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow sustained minor smoke damage from an arson attempt.
The same group also posted a video online claiming that Israel’s London embassy would be attacked with drones carrying “dangerous substances”. While the embassy was not attacked, police closed nearby Kensington Gardens on Friday as officers examined discarded items including two jars containing powder. Police confirmed Saturday that the items were “non-hazardous”.
Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London said: “Although the items found have been assessed as being non-hazardous, we continue to investigate
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attacks and pledged that “those responsible will be found and brought to justice”.
The Metropolitan Police has deployed a “significantly increased” number of uniformed and plainclothes officers to north-west London, with extra stop and search powers granted across the Barnet area. Armed response vehicles and counter-terrorism resources are now visible in affected neighbourhoods.
Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes warned those contemplating carrying out such attacks: “For the people who think you can make quick and easy money by committing crimes for others, we will show that they are fools. We will show that they’re wrong and they will face consequences”.
Jukes cited the case of Dylan Earl, who is serving 17 years in prison as the ringleader of a Russian-ordered arson attack in London, as a warning to those who might be recruited by foreign states.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a British charity that provides security for Jewish people, has urged all Jewish institutions to strictly adhere to existing security protocols and urged community members to “remain calm”.
A CST spokesperson said: “We are working closely with police to assist their investigation and to support the Jewish community. We urge people to remain calm and to report any suspicious activity, at any time of day or night, to police immediately on 999 and then to CST”.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism warned: “This is yet another arson attack which appears to be targeting the Jewish community — it is the third in a month as we witness a worldwide pattern of attacks. Britain is under attack and those responsible will not stop at targeting Jews”.
Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service has previously warned that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the UK in the year leading up to October. The UK has repeatedly accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting opposition media outlets and the Jewish community.
None of the incidents have been formally declared terrorist attacks, though counter-terrorism police are leading all investigations due to the “similarities of each attack”. Officials say they are keeping an “open mind” regarding motivations as investigations continue.
Source: Reuters
