Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police: Seven Iranians arrested in raids after 'biggest counter-state threat in years'

 Police and MI5 have foiled a suspected plot by Iranian terrorists to carry out a major attack in Britain.

Counter-terror officers and Special Forces raided two suspected Iranian cells in a ‘highly significant’ operation to tackle growing activity by the hostile state in the UK.

Sources said the alleged plot to target a UK premises was a ‘major attack’ that could have led to an imminent threat to life.https://amzn.to/3YdCV0X

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said last night that the arrests on Saturday ‘reflect some of the biggest counter-state threat and counter-terrorism operations we have seen in recent years’.

Asked about possible links to the Iranian state, she said: ‘These are major operations and the ongoing investigation is immensely important, and, of course, it involves Iranian nationals in both investigations. But this reflects the complexity of the kinds of challenges to our national security we continue to face.’

The arrests came just days ahead of commemorative events in London to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, although sources stressed that they were not the intended target.

Police were last night questioning four men ‘on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act’ after co-ordinated raids on addresses in west London, Rochdale, Swindon, Manchester and Stockport on Saturday evening.

Hours earlier, counter-terrorism police had disrupted an alleged Iranian spy cell in London in a separate operation, arresting three men suspected of carrying out espionage activity for Iran. It was feared that news of police thwarting a suspected Iranian terror cell could spook others suspected of working for the enemy state in the UK.