UK Intelligence Chief Warns of Increased Threats from Iran and Russia
In a rare public address on Tuesday, the head of the UK's domestic intelligence agency, MI5, Ken McCallum, highlighted a concerning rise in state-threat investigations, with a staggering increase of 48 cases reported over the past year. McCallum emphasized that the primary culprits behind this rise are Iran and Russia, both of which are allegedly employing criminals—from drug traffickers to petty criminals—to conduct assassination attempts on British soil.
McCallum indicated that Iran, in particular, poses a significant threat to the UK, mentioning that MI5 has thwarted 20 serious plots linked to Tehran since 2022, the year marked by the death of Mahsa Amini in Iranian police custody—a tragic event that ignited worldwide protests. The intelligence chief expressed concerns that escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly Iran's recent attacks on Israel, could exacerbate Iranian state aggression within the UK.
While McCallum noted that the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have so far not resulted in direct terror attacks on UK territory, he cautioned that they could evolve into a more profound threat over time. He described a complex threat landscape characterized by hostile state actors, independent attackers, and a revived affiliate of the Islamic State group, which recently claimed responsibility for a violent incident in Moscow.
On the topic of Russia, McCallum drew attention to the actions of Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, which he accused of engaging in arson and sabotage as means of destabilizing not only Britain but also other European nations.
The current official terror threat level in the UK stands at 'substantial' on a five-point scale, indicating that an attack is considered likely. Notably, McCallum reported that about three-quarters of terror plots stem from Islamic extremist ideology, while the remaining quarter derives from extreme right-wing ideologies. Nonetheless, he pointed out that the spectrum of ideologies is broader, with many threats fueled by online hatred and conspiracy theories.
Reflecting on his extensive career, McCallum noted that previous decades were marked by clear terrorist threats from particular groups, whereas now, those threats are increasingly blended with state-backed assassination and sabotage efforts amid the backdrop of a significant land conflict in Europe. This shift in the nature of threats facing the UK calls for heightened vigilance and scrutiny from intelligence agencies as they navigate a rapidly changing security landscape.
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