Boy, 16, among three arrested over attempted arson on Persian language media group in Park Royal

Friday, 17 April 2026 09:20

Three people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been arrested after an attempted arson attack on the offices of a Persian language media organisation.

Metropolitan Police said a lit container was thrown at a premises in Park Royal, northwest London, at around 8.30pm on Wednesday.

It is understood the offices of Volant Media, the parent company of Persian news channel Iran International, were targeted.

The container landed in a car park, where the fire extinguished itself, and the suspects fled in a black SUV.

A police armed response vehicle gave chase after the driver failed to stop and the SUV ended up crashing in Ballards Lane in Finchley.

A 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man were arrested alongside the younger teen on suspicion of arson endangering life

Some nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution but the attempted arson did not cause any injuries or damage.

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Police said it's not being treated as a terrorist incident, but is being investigated by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing London.

It is also not currently being linked to recent arson incidents on a synagogue in Finchley and ambulances in Golders Green.

However, the Met said it was aware of claims of responsibility for the attempted arson attacks by the Iran-linked Islamist group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia.

The group, which has claimed other attacks across Europe since the war in Iran began, posted videos on Wednesday on Telegram about the two incidents, according to terror group monitor Site Intelligence.

Sky News

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