LONDON, April 19 - British police are investigating whether Iran or Iran-linked actors played a role in a wave of recent arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in London, officials said on April 19. The latest incident occurred shortly after midnight at Kenton United Synagogue in the Harrow area of the city and was the third such attack in a week.
UK counter-terrorism police have taken charge of the probes into the series of incidents, following claims of responsibility by a pro-Iranian government group. Authorities said they were assessing reports that the group may have ties to Iran and would continue to examine that possibility as the investigation develops.
What happened
Officers on a "deterrence" patrol spotted a broken window at the Kenton synagogue shortly after midnight and found an accelerant had been thrown inside. Police said the fire did not cause significant damage.
In the days leading up to the Kenton incident, there were at least two other attacks described by officials and community leaders as targeting Jewish sites. On the Friday night prior, police reported an attempted arson attack on a business premises linked to the Jewish community. Earlier in the week, two suspects were arrested over an attempted arson attack on another synagogue in the capital.
Separately, an area around the Israeli embassy in London was cordoned off after an online report asserted the site had been targeted with drones carrying "dangerous substances"; police later stated that items they recovered did not contain harmful or hazardous materials.
Last month, several ambulances owned by the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola and parked near a synagogue in Golders Green were set on fire. Police said they had increased their presence in affected neighbourhoods in response.
Who has claimed responsibility and what authorities say
The group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) - also referred to as the Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand of Islam - has posted material online claiming responsibility for the incident at Kenton and has said it is behind a broader pattern of attacks across Europe aimed at U.S., Israeli and Jewish targets.
"As the conflict in the Middle East continues to evolve, counter-terrorism policing and our partners remain alive to the threat of Iranian hostile activity in the UK," Vicki Evans, Britain’s senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters. "We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran. As you would expect, we will continue to explore that question as our investigation evolves."
Evans also said the group had claimed several incidents in recent months at places of worship, business and financial institutions across Europe, and that "These locations all appear to be linked to Jewish or Israeli interests." She further characterised the model behind such attacks as one in which violence is contracted out: "This is recruiting violence as a service, and the people who conduct that violence often have little or no allegiance to the cause and are taking quick cash for their crimes."
Community reaction and government response
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis described the Kenton fire as the third "cowardly" attack on Jewish sites in London in under a week and warned of a "sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK" 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," he wrote on X.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the attempted antisemitic arson attacks. "This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain," he wrote on X.
Context from security services
British police and security services have previously warned of Iran using proxies to carry out actions on its behalf. In a related legal development last month, two men were charged with being tasked by Tehran to conduct hostile surveillance on the Israeli Embassy and other Jewish targets, authorities said.
Counter-terrorism officials emphasised they will continue to investigate possible state links alongside other leads. For now, public reporting and claims of responsibility by HAYI have prompted security services to examine whether there is any operational connection to Iran, while police maintain heightened patrols and investigative activity in affected London neighbourhoods.
Summary
London experienced a cluster of arson attempts on Jewish sites, culminating in a late-night incident at Kenton United Synagogue. A pro-Iranian group has claimed responsibility and UK counter-terrorism authorities are investigating potential links to Iran as community leaders and government officials condemn the attacks and police increase security measures.