Iranian state threat activities in the UK

Concern about Iranian foreign policy is not solely limited to its nuclear programme or support for armed groups and terrorist organisations in the Middle East, but also for its actions targeting critics, journalists and opponents overseas. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds force has been key to extending Iranian influence across the Middle East and conducting this global activity.

As set out in a 2024 Washington Institute report on overseas Iranian operations, since the overthrow of the last Shah in 1979 and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the country has targeted dissidents, dual nationals and Israelis overseas and conducted espionage and cyber-attacks across Europe, North America, and elsewhere, with the aim of maintaining the Islamic Republic.

Actions by Iranian state-linked actors form part of a wider practice of “transnational repression”, generally held to refer to the harassment or intimidation of an individual overseas with the purpose of silencing them, obtaining information, or coercing them.

This briefing sets out Iran’s activities in the UK, Parliament’s 2025 Intelligence and Security Committee report on Iran, and UK Government action.

What is the nature of the threat?

In July 2025, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee published a report on Iranian state threats to UK interests. Based on evidence received from 2021 to 2023, the committee said Iran poses a “wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat”, though one less developed and strategic to those posed by Russia and China. The greatest level of threat currently posed by Iran in the UK was identified as “physical threat[s] posed to dissidents and other opponents”. Previously, this had been espionage (referring to attempts to access non-public information through covert means).

In October 2025, the Director-General of MI5, Ken McCallum, reported that security agencies have tracked “more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots” in the previous year. He has issued similar reports in earlier years.

Those targeted by Iran in the UK include dissidents, journalists, regime opponents, Israelis, Jews, and sectors including government, travel and universities. BBC Persian and the UK-based news agency Iran international are among those who have long reported Iranian state threats. In addition to Iranian state agencies, including the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, criminal groups have also been used by Iran to conduct operations in the UK and elsewhere.

How has the government responded on Iran? General response to state threats

As set out in the Commons Library briefing, Impact of foreign interference on security, trade and democracy, the government has responded to state threats through a range of strategies on trade, sanctions, and security.

Diplomatic statements

The government has said international cooperation is “critical” in addressing Iranian state threats. In June 2026, the UK joined 22 states in condemning Iranian state-linked acts abroad, including attacks and intimidation. The G7’s Rapid Response Mechanism also highlights Iranian activity across G7 states.

Sanctions regime

The government introduced a new sanctions regime against Iran in 2023. Sanctions measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and company director bans. As of June 2026, 569 individuals and entities had been designated, including IRGC members and criminal networks such as the Foxtrot Network.

Debate on proscribing the IRGC

The IRGC has an important role in managing Iranian overseas operations. In the UK, there has been a long-running debate on proscribing the organisation as a terrorist group. While the IRGC is already subject to sanctions in its entirety, in June 2026 the government published a bill to introduce a new power to address state-backed organisations. The bill follows a recommendation from the Independent Reviewer of terrorism and state threats (PDF) in 2025 to introduce “Statutory Alert and Liability Threat” notices, which would be similar in effect as terrorist proscription.

Foreign Influence Registration Scheme

Established under the National Security Act 2023, from July 2025 individuals and organisations are required to register arrangements with foreign states when directed to carry out political influence activities in the UK. Iran has been designated under the enhanced tier, which mandates registration for any activities carried out at the direction of Iranian state bodies, including the Supreme Leader’s Office and the IRGC. Not registering is a criminal offence.

Other measures

Additional steps announced in 2025 include training for police forces on state threats, enhanced immigration enforcement, and funding for protective security for synagogues. Further sanctions on Iran remain under review.