The Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum, announced that Iran is increasing its efforts to target harder objectives such as military bases in Britain, while Russia is expanding its security threats by ramping up hybrid warfare against Ukraine's allied countries.
Increased Security Threats
In his annual speech regarding widespread threats against Britain, McCallum emphasized major concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence, particularly regarding the potential for terrorists to develop biological weapons or even create new pathogens. He added that state threats have quadrupled in the past decade and that the agency has allocated more resources to this issue.
Read more: The United States government doubts the cooperation of China and Russia with Iran
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also announced on Monday that Tehran is likely behind a suspicious plot against RAF Fairford airbase. This base is used for American bombers that have conducted attacks against Iran. This situation led to a security alert and consequently, the withdrawal of American aircraft from the base.
Iran and Russia's Efforts
Tehran has denied any allegations of involvement in this incident or other suspicious activities in Britain. British officials have accused Iran for years of involvement in plots and attempts to assassinate opponents and Israeli and Jewish targets. On the other hand, Russia also denies any involvement in hostile actions in Britain and other Western countries, but McCallum emphasized that the country remains the "number one aggressor."
McCallum also stated that he cannot comment on the RAF Fairford incident as investigations are ongoing, but he stressed that there have been significant changes this year in "Iranian ambitions to target harder objectives." He noted that last year, operations related to Iran led to over 50 arrests.
In response to the question of whether Iran has the capability to carry out complex attacks, perhaps using explosive drones, McCallum said that this capability is limited by the sophistication of the criminals and the agents used for operations in Britain.
He noted, "Given what we have seen in Britain in recent years, this capability does not reach that level at all." However, he acknowledged that in countries closer to its territory, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deeper experience in using conventional and hybrid technologies in an aggressive and complex manner.
McCallum also referred to statements from other European intelligence agencies indicating that Russia is using tactics that are close to conventional warfare. For example, he mentioned attempts to attack a cargo plane at a German airport and also a cyber attack on Poland's energy infrastructure.
He also highlighted the risks posed by artificial intelligence, stating that this technology is "increasing the intensity of cyber competition between attackers and defenders," and that terrorists are using it to enhance their identification and attack methods. McCallum emphasized that the misuse of artificial intelligence, especially in the context of biological weapons, is one of the biggest concerns.
Read more: Suspension of BBC radio broadcasting in Afghanistan by Afghan authorities · Shahbaz Sharif: Determined to strengthen relations with Iran
