Iran’s ‘terror gig economy’ comes to Britain: Fears North London ambulance arson attack was outsourced to street-level recruits

One source specialising in Iranian external operations told LBC the group claiming responsibility appears to have little real-world structure, raising the prospect of state-backed direction operating behind the scenes.

“The group concerned primarily appears to exist as a Telegram channel which had approximately 100 members as of this morning,” the source said.

“Rather than them actually existing in any meaningful form and carrying out attacks against European Jewish communities, it is a realistic possibility that an Iranian security agency is responsible, either instructing local agents case officers have recruited and trained or simply paying criminal elements to do their bidding.

“It is also a realistic possibility that an Iranian proxy supported by the IRGC’s Quds Force such as Iraqi or Lebanese Hezbollah are issuing instructions rather than a security agency.”

The warning comes after four ambulances belonging to the Jewish emergency charity Hatzola were destroyed in a fire in Golders Green in the early hours of the morning.

Read more: Counter-terror police lead probe into anti-Semitic arson attack on four Jewish community ambulances

Read more: Moment arsonists set Jewish community ambulances on fire in 'deeply shocking anti-Semitic attack'

Counter terror police, MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service have been on "high alert" since the US launched attacks on Iran, Andy Hughes, LBC's Crime Correspondent reported.

London Fire Brigade crews were called to Highfield Road at around 1:40am, where multiple gas cylinders inside the vehicles exploded, sending debris into nearby buildings and smashing windows in surrounding flats.

CCTV footage shows three suspects approaching one of the ambulances before setting it alight.

Counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation. Officers have not formally declared the incident a terrorist attack “at this stage”, but are examining online claims of responsibility alongside forensic and intelligence evidence.

But there is a growing concern among security officials that hostile states are shifting tactics, relying less on trained operatives and more on loosely organised, deniable networks that can be activated quickly and cheaply.

Roger Macmillan, former Director of Safety and Security at Iran International, told LBC Iran is increasingly adopting what he described as a “violence-as-a-service” model.

“This is no longer traditional state-sponsored terrorism,” he said.

“Iran has adopted what I’d call a violence-as-a-service model, essentially a gig economy for terrorism recruited through overt channels on Telegram.

“The IRGC now uses street-level criminals, thugs and teenagers as disposable operatives. It’s the same playbook Russia has used, only more blatant; outsource the violence, maintain the deniability.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as a “horrific antisemitic attack”, saying it was vital the country “stands together at a moment like this”.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said replacement ambulances would be loaned to Hatzola immediately, with the government funding permanent replacements.

For investigators, the central question is no longer just who lit the match, but who may have been behind the screen. The use of encrypted platforms, informal networks and low-level recruits makes attribution harder, slows response times and blurs the line between organised terrorism and opportunistic crime.

Which, as one senior source put it privately, is exactly the point.