Iran Targeting UK Military Sites, Suspected Plot at US Base 'Not Unique,' Spy Chief Says
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum stated that Iran is broadening its attack targets in Britain to include military installations, a shift from previous actions.
Iran is seeking to hit military sites in the United Kingdom and a suspected plot to attack a U.S.-run military air base in September was not an isolated incident, according to the head of Britain's MI5 spy agency. Ken McCallum, who leads the U.K.'s domestic security service, said Tuesday that Tehran is attempting to intensify its attacks in Britain beyond its traditional targets, which have included Jewish sites allegedly attacked by Iranian proxies.
McCallum noted a "major shift this year" with Iranian ambitions to target harder installations, such as military sites. He stated that the incident at RAF Fairford, a U.S.-run base in western England, "is not unique. There have been other examples, not just in the U.K. but around the world."
His comments came as detectives investigated a suspected terror plot against the base, which has been utilized to conduct bombing missions in Iran during the ongoing war. On September 27, scores of residents near RAF Fairford were evacuated as armed police and bomb-disposal experts were deployed. Authorities later reported finding gasoline in three vans at the site, but no explosives.
British authorities have linked Tehran to the RAF Fairford incident, which prompted the U.S. to temporarily withdraw its bombers from the base. Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested the apparent plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Seven men in their 20s were arrested in connection with the incident and subsequently released on bail pending further investigation.
Iran has denied any involvement. However, the country has previously stated that it considers any base used to attack its territory to be a legitimate target.