Iran says ready to help UK probe after arrests of its nationals
Iran is prepared to assist investigations if credible allegations are established against several of its nationals arrested in the UK, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday.
Iran is prepared to assist investigations if credible allegations are established against several of its nationals arrested in the UK, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday.
“Disturbed to learn that Iranian citizens have reportedly been arrested by UK security services,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “If credible allegations of misconduct are established, Iran stands ready to assist investigations. We call on UK to ensure respect for our citizens' rights and afford them due process.”
Earlier, Alireza Yousefi Director General for Western Europe at Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran expected British authorities to respect legal norms.
“We call for immediate and accurate information to be given to Iran regarding the reasons for the arrests,” Yousefi said. “Access to consular services must be granted, and the principles of fair trial must be upheld.”
He added that the timing and nature of the accusations raised “serious concerns about political motives” behind the detentions.
Seven Iranian nationals are among eight men arrested in two major counter-terrorism operations carried out separately on Saturday by the UK’s Counter Terrorism Command.
According to the Metropolitan Police, five of the arrests were part of a pre-planned investigation into an alleged plot to target a specific premises. Authorities say some of those detained remain in custody.
Following the arrests, Labour MPs renewed calls for the government to formally proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. They argue the IRGC’s role in transnational repression and terror plots poses a direct threat to UK national security.
The arrests come as UK intelligence services have continued to warn of sustained threats linked to Iran.
In October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said authorities had disrupted 20 “potentially deadly” plots tied to Tehran since January 2022.
“Iranian state actors make extensive use of criminals as proxies—from international drug traffickers to low-level crooks,” McCallum said in a public statement.
