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The Israeli Embassy in London was the target of a terrorist conspiracy by Iranian nationals who were arrested by the British police against terrorism, according to people familiar with the investigation.
Five Iranians were arrested in coordinated arrest across England on Saturday, while three other Iranians were arrested in London in a separate operation.
Until now, the British authorities had not indicated what the suspects were targeting, although the metropolitan police on Sunday said that the investigation was linked to “an alleged plot to target specific premises”.
But people familiar with the investigation said on Wednesday that the five Iranians arrested across England were suspected of being part of a cell that was in the last stages of the planning of an attack on the Israel Embassy in Kensington, west of London.
They indicated that the suspects were perhaps a few hours before the execution of their plans when the police intervened.
The Minister of Security, Dan Jarvis, described the arrests of “some of the greatest actions to combat terrorism that we have seen in recent times”.
The Israeli Embassy of London refused to comment.
It’s a story in development
