Eight men, including seven Iranian nationals, have been arrested by police in two separate counter-terrorism operations across England.

Five of the suspects were detained in raids on Saturday as part of an alleged plot to target “a specific premises,” the Metropolitan police said.

The force did not reveal the site but said it had been identified with the advice and support from counter-terror officers.

The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the arrests were sparked by “serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats”.