Two men have been arrested in London on suspicion of being members of Hezbollah, which is a proscribed group in the UK.
Detectives arrested a 39-year-old man on Tuesday at an address in north west London on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation, preparation for acts of terrorism and being involved in a funding arrangement for the purposes of terrorism.
Officers also arrested a 35-year-old man at an address in west London on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation.
The two men were taken to a London police station, and have since been released on bail until a date in mid-July.
Searches were carried out at five addresses – two in North West London, one in West London, one in South West London and one in Essex – and these are now complete.
The investigation is largely focused on activity overseas, as well as activity within the UK. At this time, there is not believed to be any imminent threat to the public.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “Terrorism and terrorists have a global reach and impact and the activities of terrorist groups overseas can harm communities here in the UK as well as causing devastation to those abroad.
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“Our investigation remains ongoing, but I hope that these arrests show we will take robust action against anyone here whom we suspect as being involved in terrorist activity regardless of whether their activity is focused here in the UK or elsewhere.”
Hezbollah has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000 since March 2019.
This means that being a member of, supporting, or inviting support for Hezbollah in any form is a criminal offence in the UK, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Prior to 2019, only specific parts of Hezbollah, such as its External Security Organisation (banned in 2001) and military wing (banned in 2008), were proscribed, but the distinction between its military and political wings was removed with the full ban.
The UK government cited Hezbollah’s “destabilising activities” in the Middle East as a key reason for this decision.
What is Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is a Shia Islamic political, military and social organisation based in Lebanon, founded in 1982 during the Lebanese Civil War.
It emerged with support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, primarily as a response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon that year.
The group’s stated goals include resisting Israeli occupation, defending Lebanon and promoting a vision of an Islamic state, though it has pragmatically engaged in Lebanese politics.
Hezbollah operates as both a paramilitary force — with a highly organised militia often considered more powerful than Lebanon’s own army — and a political party, holding seats in Lebanon’s parliament and providing social services like schools and hospitals to its base, particularly in Shia-dominated areas.
Supporters, including many in Lebanon’s Shia community, Iran, and some anti-Western or anti-Israel factions, view Hezbollah as a legitimate resistance movement. They praise its role in ending Israel’s 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000, seeing it as a defender of Lebanese sovereignty against foreign aggression.
They highlight its social welfare programs — hospitals, education, and aid for the poor — as evidence of its commitment to the marginalised.
Iran and the ex Syrian regime, key backers, framed it as a vital part of the “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and U.S. influence in the region. Supporters often argue that its military strength deters Israeli attacks and that its political participation shows it’s a pragmatic player, not just a militant group.
Critics, including Israel, the U.S., the UK, and several Sunni-led Arab states like Saudi Arabia, brand Hezbollah a terrorist group and a regional destabiliser.
They cite various attacks, its involvement in the Syrian war and rocket strikes on Israel as proof of its violent agenda.
Opponents call it an Iranian puppet, accusing it of eroding Lebanon’s autonomy with its independent militia and infrastructure.
They blame it for sparking conflicts and link it to illicit activities — drug trafficking and money laundering — to finance itself. Some Arab rivals view it as a sectarian actor pushing Shiite hegemony.
