Kayhan Life Staff and Reuters
British counterterrorism police have arrested three people after an apparent attempted arson attack near the London studios of Iran International, a Persian-language broadcaster that has long been the target of threats linked to Tehran and its proxies.
Police said an ignited container was thrown toward the outlet’s offices in northwest London on Wednesday evening. The device landed in a nearby parking lot, where the fire went out on its own. No one was injured, and no damage was reported.
In a statement, Iran International said the incident began around 8:15 p.m., when a “suspicious vehicle” was refused entry at the main gate of its site. Soon after, incendiary devices were thrown into the parking area of a neighboring building, just a few yards from its studios. The outlet said its security team responded immediately before police and firefighters arrived.
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The Metropolitan Police said Thursday that the case is not currently being treated as terrorism, though it is being handled by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Investigators said the motives of those arrested have not yet been established.
The attempted attack is the latest in a string of violent or suspicious incidents in London that have alarmed British security officials. Last month, several ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer emergency service, were set on fire while parked near a synagogue in Golders Green, north London. Officials said that despite the similarities, they are treating the three recent incidents separately for now.
“We are fully aware that they are all similar in nature,” Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters. She said Britain faces “an unprecedented level of national security investigations,” some with suspected links to foreign states and “dangerous and often reckless intentions.”
For Iran International, the latest episode fits into what it describes as a wider campaign of intimidation against its journalists and their families. In a strongly worded statement, the broadcaster said relatives of its staff inside Iran recently faced raids, questioning, confiscation of phones and other devices, and pressure from security agents. It said some family members were also asked about bank accounts, assets, and property despite having no connection to their relatives’ journalism.
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The broadcaster argued the pressure campaign has intensified amid sweeping internet restrictions inside Iran, saying foreign-based Persian-language outlets have become one of the few remaining ways for many Iranians to access independent reporting. It also cited what it said were cyberattacks on its journalists in Europe and North America, along with asset freezes and public threats aired by Iranian state-linked media.
In March 2024, an Iran International presenter was stabbed outside his home in London. The attack was investigated by counterterrorism police. Earlier, in February 2023, the broadcaster temporarily suspended operations from its London studios and moved some broadcasting to Washington after what it said was a sharp escalation in state-backed threats. In January 2024, Britain announced sanctions linked to a plot to assassinate two Iran International presenters on UK soil.
British intelligence has also issued broader warnings about Iranian activity in the UK. Last October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said security services and police had disrupted more than 20 Iran-backed plots targeting British nationals or UK-based individuals seen by Tehran as threats.
Iran International said it would continue operating despite the latest attack. “We remain committed to independent journalism and to reporting the facts without fear or intimidation,” the broadcaster said.
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(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, Catarina Demony and Sam Tobin; Editing by Michael Holden and Alex Richardson; Editing by Alison Williams)
