Iran and Russia-linked hybrid attacks in Europe are mounting, U.K. spy chief says. Here's a look at recent incidents.
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Iran and Russia-linked hybrid attacks in Europe are mounting, U.K. spy chief says. Here's a look at recent incidents.

CBS News • • world

Key Points:

  • MI5 Chief Sir Ken McCallum warned that the U.K. faces a new era of national security threats targeting people, businesses, and communities rather than government assets, with Russia identified as the primary aggressor and Iran showing increased hostile ambitions.
  • Iran has escalated hybrid attacks in Europe, particularly targeting British Jewish communities and military sites, often through proxies like the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) group linked to Iran's Quds Force, leading to over 50 arrests in the U.K. in the past year.
  • Notable Iran-linked attacks include arson, bombings, and stabbing incidents across London, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, with attempts on synagogues, Jewish organizations, and media outlets critical of the Iranian regime.
  • A suspected Iran-directed plot targeted RAF Fairford, a British base used by U.S. bombers, and two Iranian nationals were charged with terrorism offenses related to a planned attack on a Jewish community in Manchester.
  • Russia continues to escalate hybrid warfare tactics against the U.K. and Europe, carefully avoiding actions that would trigger NATO's collective defense clause, maintaining a persistent but measured threat level.

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