MI5 chief warns of 'growing threat' of 'thuggish actions' from Iran and Russia

Britain's top intelligence officer has welcomed new powers that pave the way for the IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be treated like terrorists.

Sir Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, warned proxy groups hired by Iran and Russia are posing a "growing threat" to the UK.

And Sir Ken declared his spies will be able to crack down on hostile operatives, after Labour's National Security (State Threats) Act received Royal Assent on Wednesday.

The IRGC is expected to be among as many as 10 groups proscribed as a "state-based threat" over the next year.

And they will give counter-terrorism police and MI5 powers to arrest their foot-soldiers operating in the UK, freeze assets, allow the Home Secretary to cancel visas of foreign nationals linked to the IRGC and force social media companies to take down their propaganda.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of counter-terrorism policing, previously told the Daily Express that Iranian spy plots make up the most counter-terrorism probes into hostile state activity.

Sir Ken said: "The UK is under threat from state actors intent on doing us harm, including by using thuggish tactics like arson, sabotage and physical violence to target people and businesses and disrupt our way of life.

"Building on the important powers in the National Security Act 2023, which are already being heavily used, this legislation introduces new measures which will help us tackle the growing threat from proxy organisations, which are being increasingly used by states attempting to deniably target the UK."

The Home Office has confirmed petty criminals will be arrested if they receive payment from a designated organisation.

It comes after a spate of arson attacks, kidnap conspiracies and assassination attempts linked to the IRGC and Russian intelligence services.

Iran is feared to have ordered a series of firebomb attacks on synagogues, Jewish community ambulances and targeted journalists. Enemy intelligence agencies are offering criminals money to give them "plausible" deniability, security chiefs believe.

Zealots who express support for designated groups are set to be arrested, in a similar way to those who support ISIS or Al Qaeda.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Keeping our country and communities safe is the first duty of any government. That's why we've taken decisive action to deal with the growing threat posed by aggressive foreign states.

"Under these new powers, we're going further to dismantle and deter hostile activity. This Act gives the police and intelligence agencies the tools they need to pursue foreign powers and their proxies, and better protect our communities, institutions, and democratic values."

The Home Office believes that threatening criminals with 14 years behind bars if they work for a foreign intelligence agency will deter others in the future. The penalties will be harsher than if they carried out the same act without first receiving orders from spies.

Mr Taylor added: "We are seeing, not just within counter-terrorism policing, but policing more broadly, far more polarised communities.

"And what that means is that those voices that would have once been at the extremes are being normalised.

"They're becoming more empowered, more vocal, and that is influencing more people.

"Therefore, the challenge of those extreme views becomes greater.

"That in turn results in a more permissive environment where it becomes more acceptable to voice those views or behave in a way that normalises some of that behaviour.

"Therefore, things that wouldn't have happened 10 years ago are now happening."