Sir Keir Starmer said attempts by Iran to destabilise British society “will not be tolerated” amid suspicion Tehran could be stirring up antisemitism.
The prime minister told a roundtable in Downing Street that the government was investigating whether foreign states could be behind recent attacks on the Jewish community in the UK.
Speaking to leaders of community groups, senior government ministers and police chiefs following a knife attack in Golders Green last week, Sir Keir warned there would be “consequences” if Iran was found to be responsible.
“One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents,” he said.
“We are investigating, of course, all the possibilities. And we are clear that these actions will have consequences if that proves to be the case.
“Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.”
Describing the situation as a “crisis” in the wake of the attack in north London last week, Sir Keir said new legislation would be rushed through to tackle “malign threats”.
The government has promised a new law to allow it to take action against state-backed groups amid calls for the proscription of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Sir Keir told the meeting that although essential, security is “not enough”, as he vowed to “deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place”.
“We’re clear-eyed about the fact that antisemitism does not have one source alone: Islamists, far left, far right extremism, all target Jewish communities,” he said.
“That is why this government has put in place the first co-ordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all of its forms.”
Jewish communities across England are set to receive an extra £1 million of government funding to pay for community safety work and projects aimed at countering antisemitic narratives.
The funding follows the £25 million announced last week in response to the attack in Golders Green to provide more security for the community.
Two Jewish men, Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, were stabbed during a knife rampage through the streets of the north London suburb last week.
Alleged attacker Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was remanded in custody.
The attack, which has been declared a terror incident by police, is the latest in a string of violent incidents against Jewish people.
The location of the attacks is near where four Jewish community ambulances were destroyed by fire in late March.
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