UK Police Investigating Iranian Regime Link to Arson Attack on Jewish Ambulances

British police are investigating whether those behind a recent arson attack against ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in London have links to the Iranian regime, the UK’s most senior police officer said on March 23.

On Monday, the London Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) opened an investigation into a suspected anti-Semitic hate crime incident after four Hatzola emergency vehicles belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service in Golders Green were destroyed after being set on fire in the early hours of the morning.

Though it has not been classified as a terrorist incident at this stage, counterterrorism officers are now leading the investigation, Scotland Yard said in a statement.

“It is too early for me to attribute last night’s attack in Golders Green to the Iranian state—that is rightly for the counter-terrorism investigation to determine—but whoever was responsible, the impact is serious,” MPS Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told the annual dinner of the Community Security Trust, a charity whose mission is to protect British Jews from anti-Semitism and terrorism.

“We believe three suspects were involved and we are pursuing all lines of inquiry, including an online claim of responsibility by an Islamist group who have claimed other attacks across Europe and have potential Iranian state links.”

Golders Green, in the borough of Barnet in northwest London, is known for its established, large Jewish community.

‘Distressing and Difficult’

Speaking to reporters in front of one of the burned-out ambulances on Monday afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams provided an update on the arson attack, where he addressed claims that a group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team, but it is not something we can confirm at this point,” Williams said.

Hatzola is a volunteer organization that provides free emergency medical response and transportation to everyone in need in the London communities where it is based.

On March 23, Hatzola posted on X that it was “deeply saddened and shocked” by the attack at the Hatzola Northwest ambulance base.

It said all Hatzola organizations provide “life-saving services without discrimination, regardless of faith or background.”

“It is extremely distressing and difficult to comprehend that such a vital service could be targeted and attacked in such a way,” it said.

The Hatzola North West Trust has since launched a campaign to raise money to replace the ambulances, so far raising 1.47 million pounds ($1.97 million) toward its 5 million pound ($6.7 million) goal.

“Despite this shocking incident, our mission has not changed. We will continue to save lives,” the Trust said on its fundraising page.

Anti-Jewish Attacks in Europe

There have been a number of anti-Jewish attacks that have taken place in Europe since the start of the Iran War on Feb. 28.

On March 14, two people set off an explosion outside a Jewish school in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam.

A day earlier, Dutch police said they were investigating an explosion that caused a small fire at a synagogue in Rotterdam as arson. Authorities have arrested five suspects, aged 17 to 19, in connection with the attack.

Before that, there was an explosion near a synagogue in Liege, Belgium, on March 9, which Interior Minister Bernard Quintin called “a despicable antisemitic act.”

In the wake of the incidents in Belgium and the Netherlands, Belgian authorities on March 24 deployed soldiers to patrol the streets of Brussels and Antwerp to reinforce security at Jewish community sites.

PA Media and Evgenia Filimianova contributed to this report.