Threat of Iranian attacks on people living in UK has ‘increased significantly’, watchdog warns
Iran poses UK threat ‘comparable to Russia’: watchdog
- Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee reported a significant increase in physical threats from Iran against individuals in the UK since 2022, including 15 attempted murders or kidnappings.
- The committee said that Iran's physical threat is comparable to Russia's, noting Tehran's high appetite for risk and its use of assassination as state policy against dissidents.
- The report urged the government to consider proscribing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and highlighted an increased nuclear threat since the US withdrew from the 2015 agreement.
- The ISC criticised the UK government's Iran policy for focusing on crisis management rather than long-term strategy, and for a lack of Iran-specific expertise.
- Further warnings included Iranian espionage and the potential for cultural centres to promote extremist ideology, with recommendations for enhanced cybersecurity and a review of sanctions.