The UK government is warning of increasing numbers of Iranian assassination plots on British soil. A new report from Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) details the regime’s efforts to intimidate or eliminate its opponents in the UK. Since 2022, at least 15 plots have been disrupted, targeting dissidents, dual nationals and Israeli-linked individuals.
The ISC said Iran’s intelligence services are “ferociously well-resourced” and pose the most serious physical state-level threat to the UK. The report called Iran’s campaign “wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable” and warned the UK has focused too narrowly on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions while underestimating its broader aggressive activities.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
What kind of threats does Iran pose?
Beyond physical attacks, Iran also engages in cyberattacks, digital harassment and espionage. The ISC warned that Iran’s behavior mirrors similar concerns in the U.S., where officials have tracked plots linked to Iranian retaliation for the 2020 killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
The UK ranks just behind the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as an Iranian cyberattack target. Key vulnerabilities include the UK’s petrochemical and financial sectors, which remain exposed to Iranian sabotage attempts.
That connection resurfaced this month when Iranian official Mohammad-Javad Larijani joked on state TV that a drone strike could hit President Donald Trump at his Florida home. Trump dismissed the comment as unserious, but U.S. intelligence agencies and law enforcement have previously cited credible threats against him tied to Soleimani’s death.
What has Iran said about the allegations?
The Iranian embassy in London called the report’s claims “wholly rejected,” describing them as defamatory and harmful to diplomacy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently denied involvement in the plots during an interview with Tucker Carlson.
Pezeshkian dismissed the assassination accusations as part of a long-standing narrative pushed by Israel, saying Netanyahu had “created this false mentality” that Iran seeks a nuclear bomb and had “insinuated” such claims to U.S. presidents for decades.
What comes next?
The ISC report, reviewed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and UK intelligence agencies, requires a formal government response within 60 days. Its findings may accelerate counterintelligence collaboration with NATO allies, particularly the U.S., as Western governments assess the scope of Iran’s extraterritorial threats.
