Arrests in London over suspected espionage on behalf of Iran

British police have arrested two individuals in the English capital as part of an investigation into alleged espionage activities on behalf of Iran.

According to a statement from Scotland Yard, a 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were detained on Wednesday on suspicion of collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency.

Both individuals have been released under restrictions until a specified date at the end of October.

Authorities stressed that the investigation “has no connection to the incidents or attacks that took place earlier this year, which targeted various locations and sites across London linked to the Jewish and Iranian communities.”

Between March and May, a wave of incidents struck London’s Jewish community and targets linked to Iran. The series of events began with the deliberate burning of ambulances serving the Jewish community in the capital.

The targets later expanded to include a synagogue and a former synagogue, as well as the Persian-language media outlet “Iran International” and a memorial dedicated to victims in Iran.