Latest news with #KevanJones
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Iran poses ‘persistent and sophisticated' threat to UK, warns British watchdog
UK Parliament's intelligence watchdog, Intelligence and Security Committee on Thursday said that the threat of physical attacks by Iran on the UK now matches to that of Russia. Iran has 'a high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity' on foreign soil, the report said.(REUTERS File) 'Whilst Iran's activity appears to be less strategic and on a smaller scale than Russia and China, Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and sophisticated threat to UK national security, which should not be underestimated,' the UK watchdog said in a report. According the the report by the watchdog, the number of intelligence officers in the IIS – in the tens of thousands – is also significantly smaller than the Russian and Chinese equivalents, which are in the low hundreds of thousands. Nevertheless, Iran still poses a significant and broad threat to the UK. The report added that Iran's main strategic objectives towards the UK include reducing the UK's military presence in the region, undermining the UK's relationships with the US and Israel, weakening the UK's security relationships in the Middle East, and silencing criticism of Iran, either from the UK directly or from those residing in the UK. Citing instances of 15 attempted murders or kidnappings of British nationals or UK residents by Iran, the committee said the physical threat posed by the country is 'comparable with the threat posed by Russia'. The threat posed by Iran is also linked to the state of the bilateral relationship between Iran and the UK. This relationship could change depending on the UK's international engagement as much as UK-specific actions or policy. The Intelligence Community also noted that Iran's approach towards the UK is closely linked to its approach to the US – unsurprising given the close alignment between the UK and the US. What does the report say about the Iran-UK relationship that existed in history? Iran and the UK have a complex history. Iran's leadership perceives the UK to be a significant adversary – a 'cunning fox' – opposed to the Iranian regime's values and, as part of the West, to be seeking regime change in Iran. It therefore believes that the UK poses a military and intelligence threat in the Middle East – although witnesses suggested that the UK would sit behind the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia in any priority list. 'Slightly chaotic' nature of threat Intelligence and Security Committee chairman Kevan Jones, reportedly warned that Iran has 'a high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity' on foreign soil. According to a report by The Independent, 'Its intelligence services are ferociously well resourced with significant areas of asymmetric strength,' Jones said. According to yesterday's report, Iran's activity certainly appears less strategic than that of China and Russia. 'I would describe the nature of the threat as slightly chaotic. It is not as strategic as we have seen from the Chinese and the Russians. There seem to be waves of activities … rather than a kind of consistent plan,' the Home Secretary told the Intelligence and Security Committee. 'Iran does not have the scale or some of the strategic aims that in particular that the China does. China and Russia are substantially more strategic, in terms of the breadth of what they are interested in doing inside the United Kingdom,' the report added. Which Iranian-aligned militant and terrorist groups pose the biggest threat to the UK? The reported named multiple militant and terrorist groups in the Middle East which have a relationship with, and receive support from, Iran, like Kata'ib Hizbollah in Iraq and Al-Qaeda. Both the organizations have demonstrated both the capability and intent to threaten UK interests. Other notable groups, such as Lebanese Hizbollah, do not appear to have the intent – given their regional focus and publicly stated objectives – but retain the capability to target UK interests, said the report. Scope of the report The committee concluded its evidence-taking in August 2023, the result of two years of work, but the report authors say their conclusions 'remain relevant', reported Sky News. The report authors questioned whether UK sanctions against individuals would 'in practice deliver behavioural change. Or in fact unhelpfully push Iran towards China,' the report added.
Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Britain must wake up to the threat of Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran is a 'wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable' threat to the United Kingdom. That was the sobering conclusion this week of the intelligence and security committee, which has spent several years examining Iranian policy and activity, taking evidence and analysing a huge amount of classified information. The committee's chairman, Lord Beamish (former Labour MP Kevan Jones), warned that the government had not developed a comprehensive or in-depth approach to the threat posed by Iran but had instead focused on short-term crisis management. The intelligence and security committee (ISC) of parliament is a unique body. Despite its name, it is not a select committee, but established by statute under the provisions of the Intelligence Services Act 1994. Its nine members, drawn from both Houses of Parliament, are nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the leader of the opposition and approved by each House, though approval is a formality. Iran is an implacable, dedicated and daring opponent, determined to harm us and our interests The ISC scrutinises the 'policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the agencies and departments which form the UK intelligence community'. It takes evidence from ministers, officials and experts, like a select committee, but this is always done in private due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter. Its reports are agreed upon by a long and consultative process: they are submitted to the prime minister and, under the Justice and Security Act 2013, can only then be laid before parliament and subsequently published once he has agreed that nothing in them could prejudice the activities of the intelligence services. Some passages may be redacted. The report on Iran has been subject to unusually long delays. The committee took evidence between 2021 and 2023, the process finishing before Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. Its conclusions were presented to the previous government in April 2024. Final publication was substantially delayed by the general election and change of administration, but Beamish argues that, while the landscape of the Middle East has changed, the report remains relevant and valid. In recent years, we have tended to see Iran through two lenses: that of its support for Islamist proxy groups across the Middle East like Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis; and its nuclear programme. The ISC argues that this has led to insufficient concentration on other kinds of threat. Iran's intelligence services have attempted to kidnap or murder UK-based dissidents and opponents of the régime in Tehran, and have not hesitated to target Jewish and Israeli interests in Britain. Indeed, the Home Office's Homeland Security Group considers Iran to be as great a threat as Russia in terms of physical attacks on individuals in the UK. Iran also regards the UK as a leading target for espionage and cyber disruption, only marginally below the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia in its prioritisation. Although it lacks the technological capabilities of Russia and China, in this area as in others the Iranian government has a very high risk appetite and may be willing to undertake operations of a kind which other adversaries would regard as too provocative. All of this is particularly relevant in light of the House of Commons defence committee's publication this week of a report on 'grey zone' warfare. This kind of threat, just below the threshold of conventional warfare, is already a reality for the UK. Although Russia and China are the most active adversaries of the UK, the ISC's report emphasises that we should not downplay the threat posed by Iran. The government is not doing enough on Iran, or, rather, it is not conducting policy in a systematic and organised way. The ISC, which is sometimes accused of having too close and comfortable a relationship with Whitehall because of its unique structure and methodology, was explicit in its criticism: Across government, there is a lack of Iran-specific expertise and seemingly no interest in building a future pipeline of specialists… there is no sense from anyone we spoke to of how the various government strategies on Iran relate to each other, which of them takes precedence – or, crucially, who is responsible for driving implementation and will be held accountable. This should be a wake-up call for the government. Of course it is dealing with a range of pressing threats to national security, especially in terms of Russia and China, as well as working closely with allies to support Ukraine in its defence against Russian military aggression. But Iran has to be placed into a matrix of action by the government and given proper consideration: it represents an implacable, dedicated and daring opponent, determined to harm us and our interests. Tehran will not wait until the UK is less busy.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iran threats in UK ‘significantly increased': intelligence watchdog
In respons from the UK alligations Tehran swiftly issued a 'categorical rejection of the unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations' .PHOTO:PEXELS Listen to article A United Kingdom parliamentary committee on Thursday blamed Iran for at least 15 attempts to kill or kidnap British-based individuals since 2022, saying the threat from Iran had 'significantly increased'. London's response has been too focused on 'crisis management', said parliament's intelligence and security committee, with concerns over Iran's nuclear programme dominating their attention too much. Tehran swiftly issued a 'categorical rejection of the unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations'. The committee's claims were 'baseless, irresponsible, and reflective of a broader pattern of distortion intended to malign Iran's legitimate regional and national interests', said its London embassy. The report comes after growing alarm in Britain at alleged Iranian targeting of dissidents, media organisations and journalists in the UK, including accusations of physical attacks. Read More: Iran demands end to UN 'double standards' for nuclear talks to resume Iran in March became the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which aims to boost Britain's national security against covert foreign influences. It requires all persons working inside the country for Iran, its intelligence services or the Revolutionary Guard to register on a new list or face jail. 'Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat to the UK, UK nationals, and UK interests,' Kevan Jones, chairman of the watchdog committee, said in the report's conclusions. 'Iran has a high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity and its intelligence services are ferociously well-resourced with significant areas of asymmetric strength.' Jones said it bolstered this through proxy groups, 'including criminal networks, militant and terrorist organisations, and private cyber actors' to allow for deniability. 'Willing and able' His committee's report said that while Iran's UK activity 'appears to be less strategic and on a smaller scale than Russia and China', it 'should not be underestimated'. The physical threat posed had 'significantly increased' in pace and volume, and was 'focused acutely on dissidents and other opponents of the regime' as well as Jewish and Israeli interests in the UK, it said. 'The Iranian Intelligence Services have shown that they are willing and able — often through third-party agents — to attempt assassination within the UK and kidnap from the UK,' the report said. Also Read:Iran's FM makes first post-war visit to Saudi Arabia 'There have been at least 15 attempts at murder or kidnap against British nationals or UK-based individuals since the beginning of 2022.' Similarly, security minister Dan Jarvis said in March that Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service had tallied 20 Iran-backed plots 'presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents'. The watchdog committee took evidence for two years from August 2021 for its report, a period which saw Tehran implicated in a plot to kill two London-based Iran International television anchors. In March last year, one of the Persian-language outlet's journalists was stabbed outside his London home. Two Romanian men have been charged in relation to the attack and face extradition to the UK to stand trial. The counter-terrorism unit of London's Metropolitan Police led the investigation. Iran's charge d'affaires in the UK has said that the Tehran authorities 'deny any link' to the incident.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
UK faces ‘significantly increased' threats from Iran, warns report
Iran is the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the UK's Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. (EPA Images pic) LONDON : A UK parliamentary committee today blamed Iran for at least 15 attempts to kill or kidnap British-based individuals since 2022, saying the threat from Iran had 'significantly increased'. London's response has been too focused on 'crisis management', said parliament's intelligence and security committee, with concerns over Iran's nuclear programme dominating their attention too much. Tehran swiftly issued a 'categorical rejection of the unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations'. The committee's claims were 'baseless, irresponsible, and reflective of a broader pattern of distortion intended to malign Iran's legitimate regional and national interests', said its London embassy. The report comes after growing alarm in Britain at alleged Iranian targeting of dissidents, media organisations and journalists in the UK, including accusations of physical attacks. Iran in March became the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which aims to boost Britain's national security against covert foreign influences. It requires all persons working inside the country for Iran, its intelligence services or the Revolutionary Guard to register on a new list or face jail. 'Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat to the UK, UK nationals, and UK interests,' Kevan Jones, chairman of the watchdog committee, said in the report's conclusions. 'Iran has a high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity and its intelligence services are ferociously well-resourced with significant areas of asymmetric strength.' Jones said it bolstered this through proxy groups, 'including criminal networks, militant and terrorist organisations, and private cyber actors' to allow for deniability. 'Willing and able' His committee's report said that while Iran's UK activity 'appears to be less strategic and on a smaller scale than Russia and China', it 'should not be underestimated'. The physical threat posed had 'significantly increased' in pace and volume, and was 'focused acutely on dissidents and other opponents of the regime' as well as Jewish and Israeli interests in the UK, it said. 'The Iranian intelligence services have shown that they are willing and able – often through third-party agents – to attempt assassination within the UK, and kidnap from the UK,' the report said. 'There have been at least 15 attempts at murder or kidnap against British nationals or UK-based individuals since the beginning of 2022.' Similarly, security minister Dan Jarvis said in March Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service had tallied 20 Iran-backed plots 'presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents'. The watchdog committee took evidence for two years from August 2021 for its report, a period which saw Tehran implicated in a plot to kill two London-based Iran International television anchors. In March last year one of the Persian-language outlet's journalists was stabbed outside his London home. Two Romanian men have been charged in relation to the attack and face extradition to the UK to stand trial. The counter-terrorism unit of London's Metropolitan Police led the investigation. Iran's charge d'affaires in the UK has said that the Tehran authorities 'deny any link' to the incident.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran Threats in UK 'Significantly Increased', Says Intel Watchdog
A UK parliamentary committee on Thursday blamed Iran for at least 15 attempts to kill or kidnap British-based individuals since 2022, saying the threat from Iran had "significantly increased". London's response has been too focused on "crisis management", said parliament's intelligence and security committee, with concerns over Iran's nuclear program dominating their attention too much. Tehran swiftly issued a "categorical rejection of the unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations". The committee's claims were "baseless, irresponsible, and reflective of a broader pattern of distortion intended to malign Iran's legitimate regional and national interests", said its London embassy, AFP reported. The report comes after growing alarm in Britain at alleged Iranian targeting of dissidents, media organizations and journalists in the UK, including accusations of physical attacks. Iran in March became the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which aims to boost Britain's national security against covert foreign influences. It requires all persons working inside the country for Iran, its intelligence services or the Revolutionary Guard to register on a new list or face jail. "Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat to the UK, UK nationals, and UK interests," Kevan Jones, chairman of the watchdog committee, said in the report's conclusions. "Iran has a high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity and its intelligence services are ferociously well-resourced with significant areas of asymmetric strength." Jones said it bolstered this through proxy groups, "including criminal networks, militant and terrorist organisations, and private cyber actors" to allow for deniability. His committee's report said that while Iran's UK activity "appears to be less strategic and on a smaller scale than Russia and China", it "should not be underestimated". The physical threat posed had "significantly increased" in pace and volume, and was "focused acutely on dissidents and other opponents of the regime" as well as Jewish and Israeli interests in the UK, it said. "The Iranian Intelligence Services have shown that they are willing and able -- often through third-party agents -- to attempt assassination within the UK, and kidnap from the UK," the report said. "There have been at least 15 attempts at murder or kidnap against British nationals or UK-based individuals since the beginning of 2022." Similarly, security minister Dan Jarvis said in March Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service had tallied 20 Iran-backed plots "presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents". The watchdog committee took evidence for two years from August 2021 for its report, a period which saw Tehran implicated in a plot to kill two London-based Iran International television anchors. In March last year one of the Persian-language outlet's journalists was stabbed outside his London home. Two Romanian men have been charged in relation to the attack and face extradition to the UK to stand trial. The counter-terrorism unit of London's Metropolitan Police led the investigation. Iran's charge d'affaires in the UK has said that the Tehran authorities "deny any link" to the incident.
