A timeline of arson attacks against London Jewish sites amid Iran counter-terror probe
A timeline of arson attacks against London Jewish sites amid Iran counter-terror probe
Pol AllinghamSun, April 19, 2026 at 4:33 PM UTC
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Counter-terror police are looking into whether the series of arson attacks against Jewish sites in north London have been carried out by Iranian proxies.
Premises linked to people opposing the Iranian regime have also been targeted, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has said.
Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner of the force, said most have been claimed online by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right.
Here, the Press Association looks at the attacks in the past month:
– March 23
Four Jewish community ambulances are torched in Golders Green, north-west London, in the early hours.
The burnt-out remains of ambulances at the Jewish Community Ambulance Service in in Golders Green (PA Wire)
The vehicles were from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the area, and investigators have probed claims that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia was behind the attack.
A video was posted on Telegram featuring a map of the location where the ambulances were kept and footage of them on fire.
– April 15
Attempted arson attacks are carried out in the early hours at Finchley Reform Synagogue, and at about 8.30pm outside the offices of a Persian media company, both in north-west London.
Bottles, one thought to contain petrol, were placed near the synagogue in Fallow Court Avenue, Finchley.
Two people wearing dark clothing and balaclavas were seen approaching the building and neither of the bottles were ignited, the Metropolitan Police said.
They fled the scene with no damage or injuries reported, it added.
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Hours later an “ignited container” was thrown towards the site of Volant Media, the parent company of Persian news channel Iran International.
It landed in a car park where the fire immediately went out.
There were no injuries and the suspects left the area in a black four-wheel-drive vehicle, police have said.
– April 18
Items are found near the Israeli embassy, central London, in the morning, and that night a former Jewish charity building is attacked in Hendon, Barnet.
A man was spotted approaching the row of shops carrying a plastic bag later found to contain three bottles of fluid, police said.
A police firearms officer outside the Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, north-west London, where an attempted arson attack overnight has caused minor smoke damage to an internal room but no injuries or significant structural damage (PA)
He placed the bag by the old Jewish Futures building before lighting the items inside and fleeing after they failed to fully ignite, police added.
The shopfront sustained minor damage and no injuries were reported.
A video, which appears to have been shared by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, shows a target over an image of the Israeli embassy and people dressed in hazmat suits flying drones.
Another apparent Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia clip claimed the Hendon attack.
– April 19
A “bottle with some sort of accelerant” is “thrown through the window” of Kenton United Synagogue, Harrow, the Metropolitan Police said.
Smoke was seen inside a room at the synagogue after officers spotted damage to the window at around midnight.
Video that seems to be from Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia shows a person in dark clothing lighting an item and throwing it at the synagogue before running away.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
