TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has urged British authorities to safeguard the rights of Iranian nationals arrested in recent counter-terrorism raids, while expressing Tehran’s willingness to assist with any credible investigations.

In a post on his official X account Tuesday, Araghchi said he was “disturbed” by reports that several Iranians had been apprehended by UK security forces.

“If credible allegations of misconduct are established, Iran stands ready to assist investigations,” he stated. “We call on the UK to ensure respect for our citizens' rights and afford them due process.”

His comments follow British media reports that seven Iranian nationals were detained in two separate counter-terrorism operations over the weekend.

According to the Metropolitan Police, five men—four of them Iranian—were arrested on Saturday in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester. They remain in custody as part of a pre-planned investigation into a suspected plot to target a specific location. Authorities have not released the names of the individuals, and the fifth suspect's identity is still being confirmed.

In a separate operation, three other Iranian men aged 39, 44, and 55 were detained at various addresses in north-west and west London under Section 27 of the National Security Act. The Met confirmed that searches of the premises are ongoing.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, emphasized that the two cases are being treated as separate incidents, with no confirmed links at this stage. “The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of inquiry,” he said, noting that “several hundred officers and staff” are involved in the operations.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has previously pushed back against British allegations of links between Tehran and criminal networks in Europe. In April, Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed such claims as “baseless and unjust,” accusing the UK of scapegoating Iran to deflect from its own destabilizing activities in West Asia.

“Despite Iran’s repeated calls for evidence, London continues to make unfounded allegations without presenting any proof,” Baghaei said at the time.