British police arrested four men as suspects for spying on behalf of Iran following an investigation into alleged surveillance of locations and individuals within the Jewish community in London.

Police officers said that one of the men was Iranian, while the other three hold dual British and Iranian citizenship. They have been detained after arrests carried out at addresses in Barnet, Harrow, in the London area, and in Watford, a town north of the British capital. Investigations continue at the addresses where the suspects were arrested by officers of the counter-terrorism unit, as well as at additional properties in Wembley and Barnet.

British members of parliament and domestic intelligence services have been warning for years about a threat to Britain from Iran.

Australia has also linked antisemitic attacks to Tehran.

The head of Metropolitan Police Service, Helen Flanagan, said today that the arrests are part of an operation that has been underway for a long time.

Those arrested are aged 22, 40, 52 and 55, and police said they also arrested six other men as part of the operation as suspects for assisting an offender.