British police said on Tuesday they were investigating a suspected arson attack at a memorial wall in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green in London.
Footage of the wall, available on social media, showed that it bore the images of both Iranians killed by their regime during anti-government demonstrations in January and Israelis killed by the Hamas terror group on October 7, 2023.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement the investigation was being led by Counter Terror Policing, but that it was not being treated as a terrorist incident.
They said that the memorial wall was not damaged. No arrests had been made, as of Tuesday afternoon.
The suspected attack would be the latest in a spate of incidents in the UK targeting sites connected to the Jewish community or groups hostile to the Iranian regime.
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These include the torching of ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola in Golders Green and attacks on two London synagogues. A Persian-language news outlet critical of Tehran was also targeted.
⭕️Breaking news
Last night in Golders Green, London, individuals attempted to set fire to a memorial wall dedicated to the fallen victims who took to the streets after the call by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and were killed by the Islamic Terrorist Regime. This memorial wall,… pic.twitter.com/p45DvMQRdz
— Niyak Ghorbani (نیاک) (@GhorbaniiNiyak) April 28, 2026
Over the last month, counterterrorism officers have arrested more than two dozen people as they investigate the attacks.
The newly formed terror group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which is believed to have links to Iran, has claimed credit for some of the incidents and others in Europe.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also suggested that state actors may be behind them.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, third left, and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, fourth left, speak to people as they visit Kenton United Synagogue, which was recently the target of an attempted arson, in the Kenton district of London, on April 23, 2026. (Dan Kitwood/Pool Photo via AP)
Iran’s embassy in London shares ‘martyrdom’ program
Separately, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday that Iran’s embassy in London has urged British-based Iranians to sign up for a controversial “martyrdom” program, prompting concern among security experts.
The embassy’s official Telegram channel called on “proud Iranian compatriots residing in Britain” to register for the “Jan Fada” (“sacrificing life”) initiative, inviting those with a “desire for the people’s defense of the land of Iran” to come forward.
A message in Persian from April 15 read, “Let us all, to a man, give our bodies to be slain; for it is better than giving our country to the enemy.”
A police van waits outside the Iranian Embassy, flying the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, central London, January 12, 2026. (HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
The campaign, launched last month, directs participants to register through the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s consular platform.
According to the Mail, an embassy spokesperson insisted the initiative “does not promote any form of hostility.”
“Any claims or assumptions to the contrary are simply unfounded. Such biased judgments are made hastily and without proper understanding,” the spokesperson said.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry, sharing the article on X, wrote: “The Iranian regime is reportedly using its embassy in the UK to recruit terrorists.”
“Diplomatic cover cannot be a shield for terror activity. Acting against such missions is a necessary response to a regime that exploits diplomacy to spread violence,” the post said.
Scotland Yard has not yet publicly commented on the embassy’s messaging.
Similar outreach efforts are reportedly under investigation in Australia.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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