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British police are investigating whether a series of arson and attempted arson attacks targeting Jewish community sites and media run by Iranian dissidents and exiles in London are the work of Iranian proxies, prompting an expanding counter‑terrorism response. Authorities have stated that the pattern of the incidents points to a coordinated campaign, rather than isolated hate crimes. These attacks appear to be part of a wider strategy to intimidate communities critical of the Iranian regime.

The spike in attacks began in late March, when four ambulances belonging to Hatzolah, a Jewish volunteer emergency medical service, were deliberately set alight in Golders Green. Police described the incident as a targeted hate crime aimed at Jewish community infrastructure. CCTV footage confirmed that the ambulances were set on fire using an accelerant, and explosions occurred due to gas cylinders inside the vehicles.

A week later, an arson attempt at Finchley Synagogue was made, though the fire was extinguished before it caused major damage. The use of firebombs in such a short time span raised immediate concerns among British security agencies, especially with the arson of Jewish sites being so frequent. In mid April, a London-based Persian‑language media outlet critical of the Iranian regime, Iran International, was targeted with incendiary devices. Tehran had previously issued threats against the station.

The most significant incident occurred from 17 April to 19 April, when the Kenton United Synagogue was struck by multiple firebomb attacks. Police confirmed that several incendiary devices were used, with some failing to ignite initially. The incident spanned two days, and investigators stated that the extended timeline reflected the persistence of the perpetrators and the use of multiple firebombing attempts. Also on 17 April, a security scare unfolded near the Israeli embassy in Kensington Gardens in London, when a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al‑Yamin al‑Islamia (HAYI) claimed to have launched a drone attack on the embassy. However, police later found that the attack was a hoax, with no dangerous materials found at the scene.

British authorities have arrested dozens of people linked to these incidents. By early this week, 23 individuals had been detained, with multiple charges laid for arson and conspiracy to commit arson. Many of the suspects are young, and police are exploring the possibility that they were recruited online or motivated through digital platforms. Investigators are also looking into whether these individuals were acting as paid proxies for a foreign state, potentially linked to Iranian intelligence operations.

What has drawn particular attention is that many of the incidents were claimed online by HAYI, the same group that claimed to have attacked the Israeli embassy. It has claimed responsibility for similar attacks on Jewish institutions across Europe. HAYI is likely a front for Iranian state actors, designed to carry out violence on behalf of Tehran while maintaining plausible deniability. Security experts and British police sources agree that HAYI’s methods, targets, and tactics align with a well-documented Iranian modus operandi, often involving proxies, criminal networks, and third-party actors to conduct operations abroad.

The unfolding situation occurs against a backdrop of longer-term warnings from Britian’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, about rising threats within the United Kingdom (UK) from hostile state activity. In October 2025, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum disclosed that the agency had tracked more than 20 Iran‑backed plots on UK soil over the previous year alone. The agency also emphasised the growing reliance by the Iranian regime on criminal networks and proxies to conduct covert operations in the West. MI5 continues to warn that Iranian state actors have made increasing use of criminal proxies to carry out these activities, including intimidating dissidents and targeting Jewish interests.