London charity investigated over alleged links to Tehran
On Friday, The Times revealed that police in London and the Charity Commission are investigating Dar Alhekma Trust (DAT), a charity with alleged links to Iran.
On Friday, The Times revealed that police in London and the Charity Commission are investigating Dar Alhekma Trust (DAT), a charity with alleged links to Iran.
The investigation, led by a national unit focused on terrorist financing, follows a dossier suggesting connections to groups backed by Tehran. DAT and the associated Abrar Islamic Foundation (AIF), also based in London, deny any wrongdoing.
The Charity Commission started a regulatory compliance case into DAT and AIF but paused it while law enforcement reviewed the dossier. One DAT trustee has praised a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and described the October 7 Hamas attacks by saying Palestinians “rose up and became the master of the situation.”
The investigation comes amid wider concerns in the UK about activities tied to Iran. Intelligence officials have accused Tehran of supporting assassination attempts, kidnappings, and efforts to silence dissidents living in Britain.
Last year, the Charity Commission began investigating other Iran-linked charities in the UK, some of which hosted hardline Islamic clerics and paramilitary figures. In addition, The Times of London revealed more than six UK-based groups connected to Tehran, including organizations active in pro-Hamas rallies. British officials have voiced fears that hostile actors are using these groups to inflame tensions over the Gaza-Israel conflict.
