Iran seeking 'harder targets' for attacks abroad, UK warns
The warning from the head of the UK's domestic security agency comes after PM Burnham said an attempted plot at an air force base hosting US bombers was "almost certainly" coordinated in Tehran.
The head of the UK's MI5 domestic security service has warned that Iran is targeting harder targets abroad, including military sites, Iranian media organizations, and Jewish sites, as part of its hybrid attack operations. MI5 chief Ken McCallum made the remarks in an annual assessment of threats to the UK, following an incident at Fairford air base in southern England where several men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offenses.
The base is a major military airport with the range to reach Iran. McCallum cautioned that Iran is seeking targets beyond Iranian diaspora living abroad and warned of an "unflinching response" to those who threaten the UK. Over 50 people have been arrested in Iran-linked operations in the UK over the past year, but Iran's ability to carry out more severe attacks using explosive drones remains limited by the sophistication of its proxies and criminals.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham attributed the suspected plot at Fairford air base to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and said his government would crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks and impose further sanctions to restrict Iran's capacity to harm the UK.
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