Britain warns of an Iranian escalation targeting military bases

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The head of the British domestic intelligence agency MI5, Ken McCallum, warned on Tuesday of a major shift in Iran's activities inside the United Kingdom, pointing to its move towards targeting more fortified sites, including military installations, coinciding with the escalation of sabotage operations attributed to parties linked to Tehran.

McCallum said, during his annual security threat assessment presentation at the agency's headquarters in London, that Iran has come to rely on criminal entities to carry out violent acts inside Britain, with the aim of intimidating Iranian opponents, Iranian media institutions, and Israeli websites.

He added that a large part of these activities targeted the Jewish communities in Britain, expressing his solidarity with them, noting that the most prominent shift during the current year is Iran’s move towards more difficult targets, such as military sites.

He explained that activities suspected of being linked to Iran led to more than 50 arrests in the United Kingdom over the past year.

These statements come after a series of incidents of arson and vandalism that targeted Jewish communities and other sites in Britain and European countries, which McCallum described as “disgusting acts.”

He refused to reveal details of the targeted military installations, including a foiled plot in late September to target the Fairford Air Base of the British Royal Air Force, indicating that investigations are continuing.

Following the incident, the United States transferred all its long-range bombers from the base.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that the incident was "most likely, with a degree of certainty" directed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The British Counter-Terrorism Unit indicated the possibility that the Fairford incident was carried out by individuals working, with or without their knowledge, for the benefit of a foreign country.

Iran, like Russia, faces accusations of using individuals who may not be aware of their connection to government agencies to carry out sabotage operations in Western Europe.

In a related context, the pro-Iran Islamic Right Movement group claimed responsibility for a series of incidents that occurred during the current year, including attacks on Jewish synagogues in the Netherlands and Belgium, and attacks targeting the Jewish community in north London.

McCallum said that the number of cases related to threats to countries that MI5 deals with has quadrupled over the past decade, stressing that in 2026 the agency will allocate more resources to confront these threats than it allocated during the Cold War.

He described Russia as the "first aggressor" among hostile foreign parties, accusing Moscow of escalating what he called a "hybrid war" against Britain and its allies, through cyberattacks, sabotage, and hostile activities that do not rise to the level of traditional military confrontation.

He linked this escalation to Russian difficulties in Ukraine, considering that Moscow seeks to destabilize European countries, in light of its limited military gains and high costs.

McCallum warned of the dangers of hostile use of artificial intelligence, noting that it could be used to produce propaganda and extremist content designed to influence specific individuals, making it easier to manipulate them and spread extremist ideologies.

He also expressed concern that this technology could be used to increase the danger of existing biological weapons or help develop new weapons.