Hussain Hazbavi 
The British Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has named Iran as one of the most serious state-level threats facing the United Kingdom—placing it alongside Russia and China in terms of national security risk.
In a 260-page report released Thursday morning, the ISC detailed Tehran’s increasing readiness to engage in assassinations, espionage, and cyberattacks on British soil. The report, which draws on intelligence from MI5, MI6, GCHQ, and other government departments, calls for a major shift in the UK’s approach toward the Islamic Republic.
The committee described Iran as “a pragmatic actor, often driven more by opportunism than ideology,” with growing capabilities and intent to carry out hostile actions in the West.
“The Iranian regime’s fundamental objective is the survival and security of the Islamic Republic,” the report stated. “Its deep-rooted sense of vulnerability informs many of its aggressive moves abroad.”
According to the document, since January 2022 there have been at least 15 attempts by Iranian-linked actors to assassinate, kidnap, or intimidate individuals in the UK—mostly targeting dissidents and critics of the regime.
British intelligence chief Ken McCallum, head of MI5, previously warned that Iran relies heavily on hired criminals—from international traffickers to local gang members—to carry out its dirty work in the UK and elsewhere.
Tehran’s embassy in London rejected the report in a statement, calling the allegations “baseless, politically motivated and hostile,” and denying any involvement in acts of violence or espionage within Britain.
The report also ties Iran’s UK-based operations to a wider global pattern seen in Africa, Asia, and Europe, where Iranian intelligence has increasingly used proxy actors to silence opposition voices abroad.
