Three Iranian nationals have been charged with suspected espionage for Iran’s intelligence services, UK police announced on Saturday. The suspects, all residing in London, were arrested earlier this month in what authorities described as a "very complex and fast-moving investigation."

The Metropolitan Police revealed that the individuals are accused of "engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service" between August 2024 and February 2025, with the charges explicitly linked to Iran. The three are set to appear in a London court later today.

The arrests come amid growing concerns over Iranian intelligence operations on British soil. Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Command, stated: "These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, resulting from a highly complex investigation. Detectives have been working around the clock since the arrests two weeks ago."

One of the suspects faces an additional charge for conducting "surveillance, reconnaissance, and open-source research" with the intent to commit "serious violence against a person in the United Kingdom." The other two have been charged with "surveillance and reconnaissance" intended to facilitate violent acts by others in the UK.

A fourth man was arrested on May 9 as part of the same investigation but has since been released without charge.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry previously expressed concern over the arrests, stating it was "disturbed" to learn that its citizens had been detained by British authorities. The case is likely to further strain UK-Iran relations, which have been tense over allegations of Iranian espionage and threats to dissidents in Britain.

Authorities have not disclosed further details about the alleged targets or the nature of the intelligence activities. The case continues to develop as the suspects face court proceedings.