UK arrests 2 over 'antisemitic arson attack' as police investigate possible Iran link

Police in the United Kingdom arrested two men Wednesday who were allegedly behind what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as an "antisemitic arson attack" as detectives are investigating a possible Iran link. 

Metropolitan Police said the men, ages 45 and 47, were detained at addresses in northwest and central London on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and that their properties are being searched. On Monday, "Four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area of north London, were set on fire," according to police. 

"The antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green is horrifying," Starmer said on X in reaction to the incident. 

A video circulating online purports to show Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, an Iran-linked group that has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, taking credit for the London attack, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

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"We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack," Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police previously said. "Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority… but it is not something we can confirm at this point." 

When asked about the possible Iran link on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police told Fox News Digital that establishing any potential motivation behind the attack is part of the ongoing investigation but that it could not comment further at this time. 

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counterterrorism Policing London, which the Metropolitan Police said is leading the investigation, said Wednesday, "We have been working around the clock since this appalling attack took place and this has led to these arrests being made this morning."

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"This appears to be an important breakthrough in the investigation, but we’re also mindful that CCTV footage of the incident suggests there were at least three people involved," she added. "We fully recognize the local community will still be concerned, and our investigation very much remains active, and we will continue to work to identify and seek to arrest all of those who may have been involved." 

"We know that community concerns remain heightened, and I want to reassure the community that an enhanced, bespoke policing plan and activity, which is particularly focused around vulnerable areas right across London, will continue over coming days and weeks," Williams said Wednesday.

"This includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers to help protect certain locations and will also involve highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm," he continued. "I must stress that these are precautionary and not in response to any specific threat, and we continue to work alongside our colleagues in counterterrorism policing to support their investigation." 

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.