MI5 chief warns Iran is now targeting UK military bases as state threats hit Cold War-era highs
From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026 · last updated 14 October 2026.
Police officers detain suspects near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, as Andy Burnham has told MPs the plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Sir Ken McCallum, Director General of MI5, whose annual threat assessment declared that terrorists have already been caught using AI to refine drone attack techniques.
MI5's director general, Sir Ken McCallum, has urged businesses and tech startups to prepare for sabotage, arson, cyberattacks and foreign espionage as Iran and Russia intensify their hybrid operations on British soil. He cautioned that disruption to banking apps, energy grids and hospitals could leave ordinary people unable to access their money and facing delays to medical care. Lord Harris, chair of the National Preparedness Commission, called on firms to make contingency plans now for power cuts and internet outages, noting they could face severe disruption even when not the primary target of an attack.
McCallum announced that MI5 has established a new AI Threat Assessment Centre to counter terrorists who are already exploiting AI in attack planning.
'If you're a tech startup, expect to be spied on by foreign actors and sort your cybersecurity,' McCallum told businesses at Thames House.
Iran has joined Russia as a nation actively plotting violent and deadly attacks inside Britain, McCallum warned.
