A UK parliamentary intelligence report warns of a rising, unpredictable threat from Iran, urging the government to shift from short-term crisis management to a stronger, long-term strategy.

Axar.az, citing BBC, reports that the report, covering developments up to August 2023, highlights increased physical threats, including assassination and kidnap attempts, cyber-attacks, and espionage targeting dissidents, Jewish and Israeli interests, and Iranian media in the UK.

It found at least 15 plots to murder or abduct individuals on UK soil since 2022—MI5 later raised that number to 20.

Media outlets like Iran International, BBC Persian, and Manoto TV have been especially targeted, with families of journalists harassed in Iran. British-Iranian journalist Sima Sabet was given police protection after being the target of an assassination plot.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was identified as a major threat, and the report suggests the UK government consider designating it as a terrorist organization and applying more financial sanctions, while balancing concerns about pushing Iran closer to China.

Though Iran had not developed nuclear weapons by August 2023, it retains “short-term breakout capability,” and the report stresses that nuclear de-escalation must be a priority. The UK government responded by highlighting existing measures, including 450 sanctions and enhanced foreign influence controls.