UK Faces Rising and Unpredictable Threat from Iran, Security Committee Warns

The UK is facing an increasing and unpredictable threat from Iran, and the government needs to do more to address it, according to a warning from Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.

This message accompanies the publication of a major inquiry into Iranian activities, which examined state-sponsored assassinations, kidnappings, espionage, cyber attacks, and Iran’s nuclear programme.

The committee — responsible for overseeing Britain’s intelligence agencies — expressed particular alarm over a “sharp rise” in plots targeting opponents of the Iranian regime within the UK.

“Iran represents a broad, persistent, and unpredictable threat to the UK, its citizens, and its interests,” said Lord Beamish, the committee chair.

He added that Iran demonstrates a high tolerance for risk in its offensive operations, and its intelligence services are “ferociously well-resourced” with significant asymmetric capabilities.

“Iran operates across the entire spectrum of threats we must take seriously,” he said.

The report criticises the government for concentrating too much on “crisis management” and “firefighting” with respect to Iran, particularly focusing on its nuclear programme at the expense of other pressing threats.

The committee argues that the national security threat posed by Iran warrants more resources and a longer-term strategy.

“While Iran’s activities seem less strategic and on a smaller scale than those of Russia and China, the threat it poses to UK national security is wide-ranging, persistent, and — crucially — unpredictable,” the report concludes.

Published on Thursday, the report is part of the committee’s inquiry into national security concerns linked to Iran, covering events up until August 2023, when evidence gathering ended.

The findings had already been reviewed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who received a copy in March, and were shared with UK intelligence agencies so they could check for accuracy and request redactions to protect national security.

By law, the government must provide a formal response to the report within 60 days of its publication.

The committee oversees the policies, spending, administration, and operations of the UK’s intelligence agencies, including MI5, MI6, and GCHQ.