London’s Metropolitan Police announced Sunday that British counterterrorism officers have apprehended several individuals in connection with an alleged plot to attack an undisclosed site in London.

On Saturday, five men, aged between 29 and 46, were arrested in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.

Four of the suspects are Iranian nationals, while the nationality of the fifth is still under investigation.

In a separate investigation, three other Iranian men, aged 39, 44, and 55, were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offense.

All suspects are currently being questioned at police stations and have not yet been charged. Authorities are conducting searches of multiple properties in London, Manchester (northwest England), and Swindon (western England).

Police stated that the planned attack was focused on a single location, the identity of which is being withheld “for operational reasons.”

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the police force’s Counter Terrorism Command, stated that investigators are working to determine a motive and assess any potential further risk to the public.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the arrests as “serious events” highlighting the continuous need to adapt to national security threats.

“The government is committed to collaborating with police and intelligence agencies to support all necessary action and security assessments to ensure the safety of the country,” she stated.

In October, Ken McCallum, head of Britain’s MI5 domestic security service, reported that his agents and police had identified 20 “potentially lethal” plots supported by Iran since 2022, primarily targeting individuals opposing the Iranian government.

McCallum also warned of a potential “increase in, or broadening of, Iranian state aggression in the U.K.” if tensions escalated.

The U.K.’s official terror threat level is currently “substantial,” the midpoint on a five-level scale, indicating that an attack is likely.

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