TEHRAN Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has advised British authorities to secure the rights of Iranian nationals arrested in recent counter-terrorism raids, while revealing Tehrans willingness to help with any reliable investigations.In a post on his official X account Tuesday, Araghchi stated he was disturbed by reports that numerous Iranians had actually been captured by UK security forces.If trustworthy claims of misconduct are established, Iran stands ready to assist examinations, he stated.
We contact the UK to guarantee regard for our people rights and manage them due process.His comments follow British media reports that 7 Iranian nationals were detained in 2 separate counter-terrorism operations over the weekend.According to the Metropolitan Police, 5 menfour of them Iranianwere arrested on Saturday in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester.
They stay in custody as part of a pre-planned investigation into a thought plot to target a particular area.
Authorities have actually not released the names of the individuals, and the 5th suspects identity is still being confirmed.In a different operation, 3 other Iranian males aged 39, 44, and 55 were detained at numerous addresses in north-west and west London under Section 27 of the National Security Act.
The Met verified that searches of the facilities are ongoing.Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, stressed that the 2 cases are being treated as separate occurrences, with no validated links at this stage.
The examination is still in its early stages and we are exploring different lines of inquiry, he said, noting that a number of hundred officers and personnel are associated with the operations.Irans Foreign Ministry has formerly pushed back against British allegations of links between Tehran and criminal networks in Europe.
In April, Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed such claims as baseless and unjustified, accusing the UK of scapegoating Iran to deflect from its own destabilizing activities in West Asia.Despite Irans duplicated calls for evidence, London continues to make unproven claims without presenting any evidence, Baghaei said at the time.
This article first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times