Iran and Britain summon envoys over alleged spying in UK

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper says there's been a rise in Iran-linked operations on UK soil.

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Three Iranian men were arrested on 3 May and appeared in court in London on Saturday on charges of spying for the Islamic republic.

Iran's IRNA news agency said the British charge d'affaire was asked on Sunday to give an explanation for what it said was "unjustified" and "politically motivated" arrests. The UK Foreign Office then responded on Monday by summoning Tehran's ambassador to the UK.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK would "not tolerate growing state-backed threats on UK soil".

"I can confirm the Iranian ambassador has been summoned and [Foreign Secretary David Lammy] is raising with Iranian foreign minister in the strongest terms that the UK will not accept any Iranian state threat activity in the UK," she said in Parliament on Monday.