TEHRAN – British metropolitan police have marked the dramatic collapse of a well-known investigation that Iran denounced as a politically motivated media spectacle, releasing all five Iranian citizens arrested earlier this month on suspicion of terrorist activity.
The Iranian Embassy in London responded promptly in a statement on Saturday, saying, “According to Metropolitan Police News, all Iranian nationals arrested on May 3rd in terrorist allegations have been announced.
The embassy’s sharp responsibilities underline Tehran’s skepticism about British counterterrorism narratives that claim Iranians were weaponized to malign the Islamic Republic.
Case built on thin air
The May 3 arrests made through London, Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester were initially framed by British security authorities as part of a “pre-planned operation” targeting suspected conspiracies against “specific facilities.”
Commander Dominique Murphy, the Met counter-terrorist commander, argued that the arrest was driven by “concerns about suspicious conspiracy,” adding that the detectives were “working to assess all the evidence.”
However, two weeks later, he was identified only as four out of five men (AD), detained under the Terrorist Act (TACT) and was subject to extended detention warrants.
The fifth individual (e) was previously released on bail under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Pace).
In particular, the police did not provide evidence of criminal conduct, operational plans or motivations, nor did they clarify their association with “foreign governments.”
Scepticism is based on British motivations
The sudden release of all suspects has urged Iranian officials and analysts to argue that the operation was driven by political manipulation rather than genuine security concerns.
“These actions are the result of Britain’s false perspective on Iran. The accusations built on unfounded speculations are harmful and not constructive,” an Iranian source told during the Tehran era when the arrest first surfaced.
Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci urged British officials to respect the rights of detained Iranians, adding that “Iran is ready to support the investigation if a credible allegation of fraud is established.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeir Bakaei dismissed the UK’s claims with the Iranian network as “basically unjustified” with Iranian criminal networks in April.
“Even though Iran has repeatedly called for evidence, London continues to make unfounded allegations without presenting any evidence,” Bakaei allegedly.
Analysts speculate that the timing of the arrest (indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US indicate an attempt to shake up diplomatic outcomes, particularly given that the UK may have felt it relied on the possibility of new developments between Tehran and Washington.
Iran has consistently warned against external pressure tactics outside of the formal negotiation framework.