Police probe Iranian backed 'thugs for hire' as two teens arrested over synagogue arson

Police probe Iranian backed 'thugs for hire' as two teens arrested over synagogue arsonA 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old man have been held over the incident in north London as detectives investigate possible Iran backed 'modern hybrid war, fought by proxies'NewsTom Pettifor Crime Editor10:18, 20 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesMatt Jukes, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police(Image: AFP via Getty Images)Two teenagers have been arrested over an arson attack on a synagogue as police investigate possible Iranian "thugs for hire" plot.Matt Jukes, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said a 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old man had been arrested overnight in connection with the targeting of the Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, north London, over the weekend.Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Mr Jukes said officers are investigating Iranian-backed proxies in relation to the incident and other recent attacks on the Jewish community.He said: "I think that's a very serious line of inquiry in relation to these events. We have seen a pattern with other actors with thugs for hire, people taking cash, it looks like quick and easy money.“Teams I've led have put in prison individuals like Dylan Earl, who is serving a 17-year prison sentence for acting on behalf of the Wagner group, in that case, Russian connected. But this is part of the modern hybrid war, fought by proxies.”View 2 ImagesForensic officers in Kenton on Sunday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)A “bottle with some sort of accelerant had been thrown through the window” at midnight on Sunday and smoke was seen inside a room, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson previously said.Mr Jukes added: “I’m really pleased to say that overnight, we have news of two arrests in relation to that incident.”He continued: “We’ve made, over the last weeks, 15 arrests in relation to a series of six incidents that have targeted Jewish premises, the Jewish-led ambulance service and a...