UK 'must confront threat of Iran supplying Russia with missiles'

Britain must get tough on Iran and confront growing threat of Tehran supplying Russia with advanced ballistic missiles, new report warns

• A hard-hitting Policy Exchange study warns Iran poses a major threat to the UK 

Britain must get tough on Iran and confront the growing threat from the hostile state which is preparing to give Russia ballistic missiles, a new report claimed today.

A hard-hitting study published by the Policy Exchange think-tank warned that Iran poses a major threat to the UK, with its aggressive expansion plans for the Middle East, interference in British politics and accelerating nuclear programme.

The report was backed by a coalition of senior figures, including the chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee Alicia Kearns, former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon, ex-chief of defence staff General Lord Richards, former Nato secretary-general Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Campbell and Lord Sedwill, a former national security adviser.

The group have written to the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly demanding that he urgently formulate a plan to tackle Iran’s aggression, saying: ‘We are all in agreement that Iran poses a threat to British citizens on British soil.

‘MI5 Director Ken McCallum identified no fewer than ten credible Iranian plots on British soil in 2022, while Met counterterrorism policing lead Matt Jukes identified another five plots in early 2023.

‘But Iran is also becoming more brazen in its prosecution of international disruption.

‘Iran’s increasingly appalling human rights record, accelerating nuclear programme, sponsorship of proxies throughout the Middle East, extensive assistance to Russia in its brutal war on Ukraine, and sponsorship of terrorism and kidnapping makes it an obvious threat to international stability.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran in July last year

The Policy Exchange report was backed by a coalition of senior figures, including former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon (right)

The Policy Exchange report warned that Iran will be able to provide advanced ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine from October when sanctions lapse.

In return, Russia may offer support for Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme, which could cut Iran’s ‘breakout’ time when it is capable of creating a nuclear weapon to just a few weeks.

The think-tank believes Iran is seeking to influence British electoral politics, most recently courting former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2019.

It claims SNP leader Humza Yousaf ‘has historical connections to Islamist-sympathetic groups’ and suggests ‘Iranian social media operatives’ may seek to bolster his bid for Scottish independence.

Iran is also said to be capable of mobilising ‘affiliates’ to carry out violence against British Jews, including possible terrorist attacks on synagogues, Jewish organisations and the Israeli embassy.

The report by Sir John Jenkins, the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Air Marshal Edward Stringer, also warned that Iranian groups have connections to ‘Anglo-Irish organised crime through the Kinahan Gang, which has laundered money for Hezbollah, and the New IRA.’

To counter Iran’s influence in the UK, the report added ministers should seek to crackdown on Iranian dirty cash and suggested the Government should fund ‘soft power tools’ like BBC Persian’s radio service to counter propaganda.

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