A shadowy Iran-linked group has claimed responsibility for the stabbing of two British Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, but police believe the statement may be opportunistic rather than state-directed. The claim was posted on a Telegram channel by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) just over an hour after the attack on Thursday.
Counter-terror officers are aware of the initial online posting, made at 12.23pm, and a follow-up 40 minutes later depicting a violent assault at a bus stop. However, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the 45-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has a history of serious violence and mental health issues. Investigators have found no initial evidence of Iranian state direction in the Golders Green attack.
HAYI first appeared online on 9 March, during the US-Israel campaign against Iran, declaring the start of its military operations against US and Israeli interests worldwide. The group has since claimed responsibility for a series of incidents targeting Jewish sites in Europe, including an explosion at a synagogue in Liège, Belgium, an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam, and a blast outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam.
In London, three men and a 17-year-old are awaiting trial accused of setting fire to four Hatzola Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March, causing an estimated £1m in damage. HAYI also posted a video claiming that two drones containing radioactive materials would target the Israeli embassy, prompting a police search that found only harmless powder.
Investigators' leading hypothesis is that HAYI operates as a cutout for an Iranian state agency, likely the Revolutionary Guards or the Ministry of Intelligence and Security. However, the group is not considered to exist independently; it began as a Telegram channel with about 200 followers, disappeared, and reappeared under a different name. Some claims have been dismissed as disinformation or hoaxes.
Tech Against Terrorism, a specialist research group, said the Golders Green claim marks a significant escalation in HAYI's messaging. Even if the group did not direct or have prior knowledge of the attack, the report said, claiming an incident involving physical casualties signals a willingness to associate its brand with direct violence.
