Spanish
The London Police opened an investigation into the possible involvement of networks linked to Iran in a series of arson attacks against synagogues, Jewish community organizations, and a Persian media outlet in different neighborhoods of the British capital.
Authorities confirmed that the wave of incidents, which includes the burning of ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity and an attempted arson at the Kenton United synagogue, could be part of a campaign coordinated by criminal intermediaries acting in favor of foreign interests.
Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, National Head of Counter-Terrorism, reported that specialized agents are leading the investigation into the attacks and maintain the hypothesis that the group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia—which claimed responsibility for the events on social media—is operating as an Iranian influence arm in Europe.
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“We are aware of public reports suggesting this group may have links to Iran. We will continue to explore that line as the investigation evolves”, Evans noted. In the last month, the metropolitan police have reinforced the presence of uniformed and plainclothes patrols in northwest London, an area with a significant Jewish presence, following a series of attacks that included fires at synagogues and emergency vehicles of the volunteer organization Hatzola. The most recent attack, in the early hours of Saturday, caused minor damage to a synagogue in Kenton, where officers found traces of an incendiary substance thrown through a window. The Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, expressed his alarm at the escalation of incidents and warned of the risk that the situation will worsen if urgent measures are not taken. "A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community in the UK is gaining momentum. We cannot, nor should we, wait for there to be victims to understand how dangerous this moment is for our entire society," Mirvis wrote on social media. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the events and assured that his government "will not tolerate abominable acts" against Jews in the country. "Those responsible will be found and brought to justice. Attacks against our Jewish community are attacks against the United Kingdom," Starmer said. The Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia group, which in Spanish means Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand of Islam, has claimed responsibility for the fires in London and other recent attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands through videos posted on social media. In one of these messages, the group threatened to attack the Israeli embassy in London with drones equipped with dangerous substances. The police cordoned off the area near Kensington Gardens and examined several suspicious objects, but no harmful materials were found. British security forces have warned in recent years about the use of criminal intermediaries by Iran to carry out hostile actions on European territory, targeting both media critical of the regime and targets linked to the Jewish community. The MI5, the UK's domestic intelligence service, reported that more than twenty potentially lethal operations with Iranian support were thwarted in the last year. Evans emphasized that investigations into the recent attacks are ongoing and that in recent weeks several people have been arrested and charged, whose profiles range from teenagers to adults over 40 years old. “Anyone who agrees to participate as a hired killer in these violent acts will end up facing long prison sentences”, warned the deputy commissioner.You can also read:Thomas Partey faces two new rape charges in London
Security experts consulted indicate that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia could be a front name used by criminal networks to mask the authorship of contract attacks. Authorities have reiterated that they will not let their guard down and that any threat against the Jewish community will be treated with the utmost priority, while the real extent of the network and its possible international links are being investigated.
