British counter-terrorism police have secured warrants to extend the detention of seven Iranian nationals arrested on Saturday in two separate cases, which the interior minister described as among the most significant investigations of their kind in recent years.
Authorities secured warrants to detain four Iranians aged between 29 and 46 - who were arrested over a suspected plot to target a specific premises - for questioning until May 10, London's Metropolitan Police said on Monday. Police have not named the targeted site.
"Our officers and staff are progressing what is a significant and highly complex investigation, and we still have searches and activity underway at multiple addresses across the country," Commander Dominic Murphy, who heads the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said.
Britain has recently intensified its scrutiny of Iran, placing Tehran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register. Last year the head of MI5 domestic spy agency, Ken McCallum, said that since 2022, officers had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots, which potentially posed lethal threats to British citizens and residents.
Interior minister Yvette Cooper said on Sunday that the two counter-terror probes - which police say are not connected - reflected "some of the biggest counter state threat and counter terrorism operations that we have seen in recent years."
The operations reflected the complexity of the kinds of challenges to national security that Britain continued to face, she said on Sunday, when police announced the arrests.
A fifth man who had been arrested as part of the first investigation has now been released on bail, with conditions, to a date in May, the statement said.
In the second investigation, three men aged between 39 and 55 - also Iranian nationals - who were arrested on Saturday for suspected involvement in foreign power threat activity, are to be detained until May 10, the police force said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stern warning to the UK on Wednesday saying nothing would be left to discuss if London demanded Tehran to cease its nuclear enrichment program.
King Charles and Queen Camilla expressed deep shock and sadness after a car plowed into crowds celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League victory.
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Emergency crews were called to the Sanders Lodge Industrial Estate in England's East Midlands region.
U.S.-based private equity firm Redbird Capital Partners has reached an agreement to acquire the UK’s Telegraph Media Group for £500 million, becoming the sole owner of the 170-year-old newspaper and ending a prolonged period of financial and ownership instability.
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A 5.5-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Iran at a depth of 27 kilometers.
Yemen’s Houthi group has vowed a “hot summer” for Israel after a missile strike on Sanaa’s airport destroyed a civilian plane and disrupted operations.
A massive glacier collapse has destroyed most of the Swiss village of Blatten, leaving one person missing and nearly the entire town buried under debris.
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A car drove into crowds of Liverpool fans celebrating the club’s Premier League title in the city centre on Monday evening, injuring dozens including 4 children. A 53-year-old man believed to be the driver was arrested at the scene.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Kyiv faced a large-scale Russian drone and missile assault overnight, with explosions and gunfire echoing throughout the city, forcing residents to shelter in subway stations.
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Iran at a depth of 27 kilometers.
Yemen’s Houthi group has vowed a “hot summer” for Israel after a missile strike on Sanaa’s airport destroyed a civilian plane and disrupted operations.
A massive glacier collapse has destroyed most of the Swiss village of Blatten, leaving one person missing and nearly the entire town buried under debris.
Germany has dismissed Russian accusations of warmongering, defending its support for Ukraine’s missile development as a stand for international law.
The Czech government has summoned China’s ambassador over a cyberattack it says targeted the foreign ministry’s communications during its 2022 EU presidency.
A newly discovered object in the Milky Way is baffling astronomers with bursts of radio and X-rays every 44 minutes.
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Iran at a depth of 27 kilometers.
Yemen’s Houthi group has vowed a “hot summer” for Israel after a missile strike on Sanaa’s airport destroyed a civilian plane and disrupted operations.
A massive glacier collapse has destroyed most of the Swiss village of Blatten, leaving one person missing and nearly the entire town buried under debris.
Germany has dismissed Russian accusations of warmongering, defending its support for Ukraine’s missile development as a stand for international law.
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