British counterterrorism officers arrested several Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target in London, the Metropolitan Police force said on Sunday. Police said five men aged between 29 and 46 were detained on Saturday in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth is still being established. Three other Iranian men, aged 39, 44 and 55, were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offense as part of a separate investigation, police said.