Iran and Russia are stepping up hybrid campaigns in Britain, UK spy chief says

MI5 has issued a warning that Iran and Russia are intensifying their hybrid warfare campaigns against Britain. In his annual address on potential threats to the country, MI5's Director General Ken McCallum highlighted the organization's concern over the potential misuse of AI, specifically the development of bioweapons or novel pathogens. He stated that state threats have quadrupled in the past decade, prompting the MI5 to allocate more resources to this issue compared to the Cold War era.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has suggested that Iran is highly likely to be behind a plot against RAF Fairford, a base previously used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran. This led to a significant security alert and resulted in US President Trump withdrawing planes from the air base. While MI5 could not comment on the Fairford incident due to an ongoing investigation, McCallum noted a major shift this year in Iran's ambitions to target harder targets, such as military sites. He emphasized that such incidents are not isolated to the UK but have occurred globally.

Regarding Russia, McCallum reiterated that it remains the "aggressor number one." He echoed statements from other European intelligence agencies that Russia is employing tactics just shy of full-scale conflict. These tactics include a failed drone attack on a cargo plane at a German airport and a cyber attack on Poland's energy infrastructure. McCallum highlighted that Russia's aggression towards other European nations is particularly noticeable given the military stalemate in Ukraine.