British police arrest several Iranian men over alleged plot to attack target in London

British counterterrorism officers arrested several Iranian men over an alleged plan to attack an undisclosed location in London the London Metropolitan Police released Sunday Five men between the ages of and were taken into custody on Saturday in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act Four of the men are Iranian citizens while investigators are still working to determine the nationality of the fifth In a separate scrutiny three other Iranian men aged and were arrested in London on suspicion of a national safety offense HEGSETH SENDS STRONG MESSAGE TO IRAN AND HOUTHIS 'YOU WILL PAY'All the subjects are being questioned at police stations but have not yet been charged Police are searching several properties in London Manchester in northwest England and Swindon in western England Police mentioned the attack plot targeted a single location which the agency revealed is not being revealed for operational reasons Commander Dominic Murphy who leads the police force s Counter Terrorism Command announced investigators are still working to establish a motive as well as to identify whether there may be any further threat to the citizens IRAN ACCUSED OF 'COVERING UP' DEATH TOLL IN PORT EXPLOSION AMID CONCERNS OF UPRISINGHome Secretary Yvette Cooper disclosed the arrests were serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national precaution threats The regime continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to encouragement all the action and safeguard assessments that are needed to keep the country safe she commented In October the head of Britain s MI domestic measure provision Ken McCallum disclosed his agents and police have identified potentially lethal plots backed by Iran since with greater part targeting Iranians in the U K who oppose the country s government McCallum revealed at the time there was the peril of an increase in or broadening of Iranian state aggression in the U K if conflicts in the Middle East intensified The U K s official terror threat level stands at substantial which falls in the middle of a five-point scale meaning an attack is likely The Associated Press contributed to this summary