Four men have pleaded guilty to intentionally destroying four Jewish community ambulances in a north London arson attack that occurred earlier this year. The incident is widely believed to be a direct consequence of the commencement of the Iran war.
Sentencing for Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali, all 18, is scheduled for the spring of 2027, following the conclusion of a separate trial involving a fifth defendant. The four men faced charges of property destruction and recklessness to endanger life.
The ambulances, owned by Hatzola, a volunteer-led Jewish charity serving the Golders Green area, were torched in the early hours of March 23. Each vehicle was valued at approximately 250,000 pounds ($340,000).
This attack is among several incidents in the weeks after the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that have been characterized as antisemitic. According to the prosecution, three of the defendants set fire to the fully stocked ambulances, while a fourth waited in a getaway car. The resulting fire caused gas canisters within the vehicles to explode, damaging nearby apartments and a synagogue.
During the hearing, prosecutor Leo Seelig indicated that the incident had a "terrorist connection," though specific mention of Iranian proxies was not made in court. Counterterrorism police have been investigating the potential involvement of Iranian proxies in this and other attacks on Jewish sites in London.
Online claims for some of these incidents have been made by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right. The Iranian Embassy in the U.K. has issued a statement categorically rejecting any allegations of involvement in "violent activities or incidents in the United Kingdom."
Separately, a fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, 18, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assisting an offender. Ahmed is accused of aiding in the disposal of the car used in the attack and is slated for trial on January 27.