Key Points
- Shadow Home Office Minister Matt Vickers has urged the Labour government to expel a large number of Iranian diplomats if Tehran is behind a series of antisemitic arson attacks in the UK.
- Vickers said the move should mirror the expulsion of Russian spies after the 2018 Salisbury Novichok attack, arguing it would send a strong warning and reduce Iran’s capacity to operate on British soil.
- Police and intelligence chiefs are investigating whether Iran has used British criminals to carry out attacks in the UK.
- The incidents under scrutiny include an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances and attempted arson attacks at synagogues in Finchley and Kenton, as well as at a former Jewish charity building in Hendon.
- Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said the possibility of a foreign state using hate crime to sow discord in the UK is “really troubling.”
- Jukes said officers are examining claims of responsibility carefully, stressing that online claims must be distinguished from what can be proved.
- A group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, also known as Hayi, has claimed responsibility for most of the incidents since 9 March, according to the report.
- The latest incident involved a petrol bomb thrown through the window of Kenton United Synagogue around midnight on Sunday, causing minor smoke damage but no injuries.
- Two people, a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man, were arrested in connection with the Kenton incident.
- Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis condemned the attack as “cowardly” and warned that a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community was gathering momentum.
What has Matt Vickers demanded?
London (Britain Today News) April 20, 2026 – Shadow Home Office Minister Matt Vickers has called on Shabana Mahmood and the Labour government to take urgent action against Iran if Tehran is found to be behind a wave of antisemitic arson attacks in the UK, according to Michael Knowles. Vickers said a “large” number of Iranian diplomats should be expelled, arguing that this would “send a powerful message” and weaken Iran’s ability to operate in Britain.
As reported by Michael Knowles, Mr Vickers said the government should follow the example set after the Salisbury poisonings, when Russian diplomats and suspected intelligence officers were expelled from the UK. He said the precedent had already been shown to disrupt hostile intelligence activity, and argued that the same approach should now be applied if Iran is linked to the recent attacks.
Why are ministers being pressed to act now?
The pressure follows a string of incidents in London and elsewhere that have raised alarms among police and intelligence chiefs. Detectives are investigating whether Iran paid British criminals to carry out attacks on UK soil, including arson against Jewish community ambulances and attempted arson attacks on synagogues in Finchley and Kenton, as well as a former Jewish charity in Hendon.
Mr Vickers also asked whether the government would commit to deporting any foreign national who expresses extremist views, sympathy for violence or terrorism, antisemitism, or religious hatred. His intervention reflects growing concern within Westminster that the issue is no longer just about isolated criminal acts, but potentially about foreign-state activity designed to destabilise communities.
What have security chiefs said?
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes told LBC that officers are examining the claims with “extraordinary” seriousness and are working to separate online propaganda from evidence they can prove. He warned that the idea of a foreign state using hate crime as a mechanism to sow discord and anxiety in UK communities is “really troubling”.
Jukes said that “thugs for hire” could face long prison terms for carrying out crimes for foreign states in return for small sums of money. He referred to the case of Dylan Earl, who was jailed for 17 years after agreeing to carry out an arson attack in Leyton, east London, for the Russian-backed Wagner group in 2024.
What happened at Kenton synagogue?
The most recent incident cited in the report involved a petrol bomb thrown through the window of Kenton United Synagogue around midnight on Sunday. The device landed in a medical room, causing minor smoke damage inside the building but no injuries or serious structural damage, according to the Community Security Trust.
Mr Jukes said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis described the attack as “cowardly” and said that a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community in the UK was gathering momentum. He added that the assault on the community’s ability to worship and live safely was also an attack on the values that hold society together.
Who is claiming responsibility?
The report says a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, also known as Hayi, has claimed responsibility for most of the incidents since 9 March. One video said to have been published online by the group appears to show a person in dark clothing lighting an object and throwing it at Kenton United Synagogue before running away.
Police have not accepted those claims at face value, and Jukes stressed that investigators must distinguish between what is being said online and what can be verified. That distinction is central to the inquiry because, according to the report, the authorities are still trying to establish whether the incidents are linked to an organised foreign-backed campaign.
What is the wider political significance?
The calls for expulsions place added pressure on Labour to respond forcefully to suspected hostile activity on British soil. Vickers’ comments frame the issue as both a national security concern and a test of the government’s willingness to confront Iran over alleged covert operations and intimidation tactics.
The report also suggests that British security officials view the situation as part of a broader pattern in which foreign actors may use proxies or criminal networks to create disorder. If the claims are substantiated, the political consequences could be significant, particularly on questions of proscription, diplomatic expulsions and counter-terror policy.
What happens next?
The police investigation remains ongoing, with detectives and intelligence officers working to establish the scale and sponsorship of the attacks. Any decision on expulsions, proscription or wider sanctions would likely depend on what evidence is finally obtained and whether the government is convinced that Iran is directly involved.
The immediate concern for ministers is to reassure Jewish communities, demonstrate visible action, and prevent further attacks while the investigation continues. For now, the debate has intensified around whether Britain should respond with diplomatic expulsions and tougher measures similar to those used after Salisbury.
