Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers have arrested two people in London on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service.

The suspects, a 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man, were detained yesterday after officers attended addresses in north and north-west London. Both were taken into custody at a London police station for questioning before being released on bail under strict conditions.

According to the Met, both individuals were arrested on suspicion of an offence under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which specifically covers assisting a foreign intelligence service. It is a major charge under updated national security legislation designed to tackle foreign state threats operating on British soil.

The arrests follow earlier activity by investigators, who carried out searches on June 24 at properties in the north and north-west of the capital before pursuing further enquiries that led to yesterday's detentions.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, moved to reassure the public following the operation. She said: "We know that news of these arrests will come as a concern to some members of the public, but I want to stress that we do not believe there to be any imminent threat to the wider public in connection with this matter."

Commander Flanagan also placed the operation in the context of a wider intelligence drive, explaining: "We’ve seen a marked increase in the tempo of our work linked to national security and state threats over the past year and this investigation is a continuation of that."

Emphasising the Met's operational stance, Commander Flanagan added: "As we’ve shown here, if we suspect any activity could threaten the safety of the UK or the public, then we will not hesitate to take action."

With security services maintaining a high posture, Commander Flanagan reiterated the importance of public awareness. "I would also like to remind the public that the overall terrorism threat level is at severe, so we continue to ask for everyone’s support through being vigilant, and if you see or hear anything that doesn’t look right, then please, trust your instincts, and report it to us," she said.

Police have also taken steps to address community concerns by confirming what this case is not connected to. Scotland Yard stated that the investigation is not linked to earlier incidents this year targeting venues or buildings connected to London's Jewish and Iranian communities.

In addition, the force clarified that the arrests are entirely unrelated to any events or activity tied to the upcoming High Holy Days period.

What we don't know yet are the identities of the two suspects or the exact nature of the assistance they are alleged to have provided. As ever with ongoing national security cases, investigators are keeping operational specifics close to their chest to protect future court proceedings.

Both suspects have been summoned to appear in court in late October under their strict bail terms. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.