UK police probe Iranian regime proxy link to antisemitic arson attacks in London  

    London, Apr 19 (PTI) The Metropolitan Police said on Sunday that counter-terrorism officials are investigating whether a series of attacks targeting Jewish sites across London may be linked with proxies of the Iranian regime. 
    Issuing an update, the force said that Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) are leading the investigations into all these incidents as they have been similar in nature. The arson attacks have targeted Israeli and Jewish -linked premises across the UK capital since last month.   
    “Most have been claimed online by the group Ashab al-Yamin (Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right)," said Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, who is the Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism. 
    “This same group has claimed several incidents over recent months at places of worship, business and financial institutions across Europe. These locations all appear to be linked to Jewish or Israeli interests,” she said.
     The senior Met official stated that her teams in the UK “remain alive to the threat of Iranian state aggression in the UK” as the conflict in West Asia continues to evolve.
    “I have spoken at length of the Iranian regime’s routine uses of criminal proxies. We are considering whether this tactic is being used here in London – recruiting violence as a service. Individuals carrying out these crimes often have no allegiance to the cause and are taking quick cash for their crimes," she said. 
    Speaking outside Kenton United Synagogue in north London, Evans warned individuals that such offences carry a significant sentence and lifetime restrictions under the UK’s National Security Act. 
    Her statement followed an announcement by the Met Police on Saturday evening of increased patrols after the latest incident of arson targeting a Jewish charity in London on Friday. It also emerged that, as a result of the increased resources, another incident on Saturday night was foiled by officers on patrol at Jewish businesses and places of worship.   
    On Friday, the police said a man was seen to approach a row of shops in Hendon with a plastic bag with what was later found to be three bottles containing fluid. He placed the bag next to the building and lit the items in the bag before fleeing, but the bottles failed to fully ignite.  
    “For Jewish communities, this feeling of concern is sadly not new; and we appreciate and recognise the continued impact on them as they try to live peacefully and without fear," said the Met Police’s Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes. 
    According to ‘The Sunday Times’, there have been at least five incidents in the UK claimed by an Islamist group suspected to be linked to Iran’s intelligence services amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. A group named Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) was identified by the newspaper as having claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Telegram app.  
    Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads the Met’s policing in north London, earlier said that his team continues to work with Counter Terrorism Policing, who are leading the investigations into all the incidents.  
    The police said uniformed and plain-clothed officers will maintain a strong presence around the targeted hotspots, including providing reassurance to Jewish places of worship and businesses. Extra stop and search powers have also been introduced across Barnet in north London to "deter acts of violence and target any potential offenders".
      Additionally, armed response vehicles and Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) resources have been deployed to support the increased local policing plan. Police motorbikes and interceptors will also be in and around communities to bolster efforts.  
    The Met and CTP London will continue to engage with community leaders and Jewish communities, with the latest incident also being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, the police said.  
    Friday's arson attack was targeted at Jewish Futures, an organisation with educational and cultural ties to Israel.
    A botched firebombing at a Jewish synagogue, an attempted arson attack on the studios of independent Farsi-language television channel Iran International, and an incident targeted at the Israeli embassy in Kensington with drones suspected of carrying radioactive material are among some of the other recent cases under ongoing police investigation.  
    Last month, four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north-west London, were firebombed.  
    “Since the incident in Golders Green last month, we have spoken extensively to community leaders. I understand and appreciate their concerns," added Detective Luke Williams.  
    The incidents are seen as linked to the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran and the wider conflict in the region. 

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)