Four Iranian men were being questioned over an alleged major terror plot against a “specific” British target as investigators urgently try to establish whether there is any continuing danger to the public despite the arrests.
The men, all Iranian nationals, were arrested on Saturday, with armed police, and in at least one instance special forces soldiers, sent in to detain them amid fears some of the suspects may have had weapons.
A fifth man arrested in Manchester as part of the same operation was released on bail on Monday.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan police, said: “The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter.”
Police said searches were under way at addresses in Greater Manchester, London and Swindon.
Investigators are trying to establish whether or not Iran played any role in what they consider a “significant” attack plot.
In a separate operation, three Iranian nationals were arrested by British police under laws to combat foreign state threats. All three men in that investigation remain in custody.
But the main focus of government, counter-terrorism police and Britain’s security services is on what they believe was a thwarted attack plot, with arrests made amid fears that the unleashing of violence could have been staged soon.
Those arrested, all male, were a 29-year-old detained in the Swindon area, a 46-year-old man who was arrested in west London, a 29-year-old man held in Cheadle Hume, in the Stockport area, and in Rochdale a 40-year-old was detained at gunpoint.
All four were arrested under terrorism laws for planning terrorist acts and warrants to detain them until this Saturday have been granted by magistrates.
Police said a 24-year-old man arrested in the Manchester area has been released on bail, but with conditions restricting his freedoms.
The arrests followed a joint operation by counter-terrorism police and the security service MI5.
Investigators do not believe the target was a synagogue as some news outlets have suggested, but will not comment whether the “specific premises” that faced the potential threat was linked to Britain’s Jewish community.
The plot was more sophisticated than recent lone actor terrorism attacks seen in the United Kingdom, police believe.
The result of searches of electronic devices is being examined by detectives.
Murphy said: “Our officers and staff are progressing what is a significant and highly complex investigation, and we still have searches and activity underway at multiple addresses across the country.
“We are working incredibly hard, with public safety at the forefront of our ongoing efforts.
“We believe that a specific premises was the target of this suspected plot and counter-terrorism policing officers remain in close contact with the affected premises.
“At this time, we will not be providing further information about the suspected target for reasons of operational security and public safety.
“As always, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us.”
Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, has said the arrests in the “two major operations” over the weekend reflected some of the biggest threats “we have seen in recent years”.
Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, said in October 2024 that Tehran was behind “plot after plot” in the UK and that MI5 had uncovered five new planned attacks last year, usually against dissidents, taking the total since January 2022 to 20.