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MI5 Chief Says Russia and Iran Are Escalating Hybrid Campaigns Against Britain at Cold War Surpassing Scale
Read this in the Market Flux appMI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned Tuesday that Britain has entered a new era of national security, with the agency now devoting more resources to countering hostile state threats than at any point during the Cold War. Speaking at MI5's Thames House headquarters, McCallum said the service's state threats caseload has quadrupled over the past decade, driven primarily by intensifying Russian and Iranian hybrid campaigns.
McCallum described Russia as "aggressor number one," warning that Moscow is using tactics that stop just short of conventional conflict, targeting critical infrastructure including financial systems, energy grids, supply chains and manufacturing. He called for greater systemic resilience across those sectors while cautioning that Britain must not let Russian hybrid warfare tactics "intimidate" the country or leave it feeling besieged, arguing that narrative would "do our adversaries' work for them."
On Iran, McCallum said 2026 has seen Tehran expand its hybrid campaign significantly, shifting toward harder targets such as military sites. He cited the incident at RAF Fairford as one example, describing it as not unique, and said Iran-linked operations have led to more than 50 arrests in the UK over the past 12 months. He warned those directing plots from the Middle East to expect an "unflinching response."
McCallum also announced the creation of an AI Threat Assessment Centre to address dangers from artificial intelligence. He identified AI-assisted development of bioweapons as the misuse case of greatest concern, citing the risk of hostile actors using AI to engineer novel pathogens.
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Sources
- AlexwickhamNEW: The head of MI5 Ken McCallum has said Britons must increase their resilience and prepare to be “tested” by “escalating” Russian hybrid warfare. He warned the security service is now devoting more resources to hostile state threats than during the Cold War. “We have again entered a new era of national security, requiring a new response,” McCallum said in a speech at MI5’s headquarters at Thames House on Tuesday. “In this new world, we should expect to be tested,” he said. The spy chief called for greater “systemic resilience” of critical infrastructure, banking and defence interests, and better “societal resilience” against polarised online debate and radicalisation. “Our interconnected financial systems, energy grids, supply chains and manufacturing bases, designed during simpler times for maximum efficiency, are vulnerable to malicious disruption and coercion,” McCallum said. “Russia remains aggressor number one,” he said, warning the Kremlin is “using tactics that stop short, though sometimes not much short, of conventional conflict.” “In 2026, MI5 is devoting more resource to countering state threats than during the Cold War. Over the last decade, our state threats caseload has quadrupled,” he said. However, McCallum sought to present a nuanced assessment of the Russian threat, warning that Britain should not “fall into the trap” of letting Moscow’s hybrid warfare strategy “intimidate” it and leave the country feeling “beseiged.” That narrative would “do our adversaries’ work for them,” he said. On Iran, McCallum said the incident at RAF Fairford was not “unique,” suggesting Iran is targeting other military sites, though he downplayed its capability to pull off a sophisticated attack on British soil emulating Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian airbases. “2026 has also seen the Iranians, like the Russians, attempting to expand their hybrid campaign. Over the last 12 months, our Iran-linked operations have led to more than 50 arrests in the UK,” he said, adding that those in the Middle East responsible for directing the plots could expect an “unflinching response.” McCallum also said Britain needed to increase its “technological resilience” to combat dangers from artificial intelligence, announcing the establishment of an “AI Threat Assessment Centre.” In a sobering warning, he said “the misuse case to which I’d attach greatest weight is AI’s potential to change the stakes on existing or even new bioweapons,” citing concerns about hostile actors using AI to create “novel pathogens.”
- Ny TimesMI5 Chief Warns of Growing Iranian and Russian Threats to U.K.
- FinancialjuiceUK's MI5 Spy Chief: Iran is seeking to come at harder targets such as military sites in UK and elsewhere.
- PiQMarketsUK spy chief: Iran, Russia escalating hybrid campaigns Iran is increasing attempts to target harder sites like military bases in Britain, while Russia is escalating hybrid warfare as it retaliates against Ukraine's allies, according to the UK's domestic spy chief. MI5 Director General Ken McCallum stated that state threats have quadrupled over the past decade, now receiving more resources than during the Cold War.
- WarMonitor3Iran has shifted strategy to attacking British military bases which have leas to over 50 arrests according to Mi5 in the last year. Wow…
- PolymarketJUST IN: MI5 chief warns the UK is facing more foreign state threats than during the Cold War, saying threats have “quadrupled.”
- WsjU.K. Spy Agency Confronts Escalating Hybrid War With Russia and Iran