Intelligence chief warns of “increase” in British assassination plans by Russia and Iran

The UK is experiencing a “staggering rise” in assassination attempts attributed to Russian and Iranian agents as enemy states increasingly engage criminals to carry out their plans, MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum has revealed.

In a rare public address on Tuesday, McCallum said MI5 and law enforcement officials had foiled 20 Iranian-backed attacks since 2022.

He warned that Iran could expand its targets to include the United Kingdom if Israel takes significant retaliation against Iranian missile attacks.

“The worsening conflicts in the Middle East increase the risk of increased aggression by the Iranian state in the United Kingdom,” McCallum said, stressing that tensions related to Iranian-backed groups – such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis – also include domestic terrorist attacks could trigger.

Although the current crisis has not yet resulted in widespread terrorist violence in the UK, McCallum stressed that the convergence of hostile states, individual attackers and a resurgent Islamic State group had created “the most complex and interconnected threat environment we have ever seen.” “.

MI5 recorded a 48 percent increase in state threat investigations last year, with Iran, Russia and China identified as key threats.

Following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iranian custody in September 2022, the agency's focus sharpened, leading to a rise in attacks in the UK at an “unprecedented pace”.

Russian military intelligence is reportedly using tactics such as arson and sabotage to foment chaos in Britain and Europe, McCallum said.

Both Russia and Iran have a history of exploiting criminals, from drug traffickers to petty criminals, to conduct their operations.

Recent investigations have led to criminal charges related to state-sponsored attacks. In particular, a Chechen man was convicted of monitoring the offices of a dissident Iranian broadcaster in London, while others are on trial over a Russian-linked plot to target Ukrainian companies.

In addressing the challenges posed by an assertive China, McCallum acknowledged the importance of the UK-China economic relationship but also warned of the risks involved.

The official terror threat level in the UK is “significant”, indicating an attack is likely.

McCallum highlighted that MI5 and police had foiled 43 late-stage terrorist attacks since 2017.

About three quarters of these threats are based on Islamic extremist ideologies, the rest are related to right-wing extremist movements.

He highlighted the increasing involvement of young people, noting that 13 per cent of people investigated by MI5 were under 18 years old.

McCallum also warned of signs that the Islamic State group is trying to re-establish itself despite the collapse of its territorial claims in Iraq and Syria.

He cited a recent attack in Moscow that killed over 140 people as evidence of the group's enduring effectiveness.

“The first 20 years of my career were fraught with terrorist threats,” McCallum said. “Now we stand against the backdrop of a major European land war alongside state-sponsored assassination and sabotage attacks.”

He concluded by noting that MI5 faces “a hellish task.”

This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.