LONDON: Iran’s intelligence services have tried on at least 10 occasions to kidnap or even kill British nationals or individuals based in the United Kingdom regarded by Tehran as a threat, the head of Britain’s domestic spy agency said on Wednesday.
Ken McCallum, Director General of the Security Service known as MI5, said while at home Tehran was using violence to silence critics, its “aggressive intelligence services” were also projecting a threat to Britain directly.
“At its sharpest this includes ambitions to kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime,” McCallum said in a speech at MI5’s headquarters.
“We have seen at least ten such potential threats since January alone.”
The British spy chief’s words echo similar remarks earlier on Wednesday from French President Emmanuel Macron that Iran was being increasingly aggressive toward France by detaining its citizens.
For its part, Iran has accused Western foes of stoking nationwide protests ignited by the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16 in the custody of the morality police.
“The current wave of protests in Iran is asking fundamental questions of the totalitarian regime,” McCallum said. “This could signal profound change, but the trajectory is uncertain.”
British spy chief: Iran has tried 10 times to kidnap or kill UK-based individuals
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British spy chief: Iran has tried 10 times to kidnap or kill UK-based individuals
- "At its sharpest this includes ambitions to kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime," McCallum said
- The British spy chief's words echo similar remarks earlier on Wednesday from French President Emmanuel Macron
20 nations back Somalia sovereignty, condemn Israeli FM visit to Somaliland as illegal: joint statement
RIYADH: More than twenty nations have reaffirmed Somalia’s sovereignty and denounced the recent visit of Israel’s foreign minister to Somaliland, a separatist region of Somalia, according to a joint statement issued early on Friday.
The nations dismissed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, reaffirmed Somalia’s territorial integrity, and urged Israel to revoke its recognition of Somaliland immediately.
The 21 nations are Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djabouti, Egypt, The Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, and Turkiye. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, an international body representing most Muslim-majority nations, also endorsed the statement.
The nations condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visit to Somaliland on Tuesday, days after Israel became the only country to formally recognize the break-away region of Somalia.
The statement said that encouraging “secessionist agendas are unacceptable and risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region” and praised Somalia’s commitment to peaceful international engagement and adherence to international law.
On Tuesday Saar wrote on X: “We are determined to vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland,” alongside images of him meeting the Somaliland leader at the presidential palace.
Saar said Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, had accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make an official visit to Israel.
Somaliland has denied recognition allows for Israel to establish military bases there or for the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. Israel has advocated for what Israeli officials describe as voluntary Palestinian migration from Gaza.
* With Reuters
