Daijiworld Media Network - London

London, Mar 6: Police in London have arrested four men on suspicion of assisting Iran by carrying out surveillance on members of the Jewish community, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

According to officials, the suspects — one Iranian national and three dual British-Iranian nationals — were taken into custody on suspicion of aiding a foreign intelligence service. Investigators believe the men were involved in spying on specific locations and individuals.

The Metropolitan Police said the men, aged 22, 40, 52 and 55, were arrested at addresses in and around north London shortly after 1 am. Searches are currently underway at the locations and at several nearby properties as part of the investigation.

In a related development, six other men were arrested in Harrow in west London on suspicion of assisting an offender. All six have been taken into custody for questioning, police said.

Commander Helen Flanagan, who oversees counterterrorism policing in London, said authorities understand that the arrests may cause concern, particularly within the Jewish community.

“We understand the public may be concerned, in particular the Jewish community, and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police,” she said.

The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, as the United States and Israel continue strikes on Iran while Tehran carries out retaliatory attacks against Israel, U.S. bases and other targets in the region.

Britain is not involved in offensive operations but has been assisting with regional defence efforts, officials said.