British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat addresses a press conference during his visit to Nairobi, Kenya, May 10, 2023.

UK Labels Iran As A ‘New Form Of State Threat’

Friday, 07/21/2023

The United Kingdom's security minister has expressed concerns over the actions of the Iranian regime, likening them to tactics commonly employed by terrorist groups.

In an interview with Politico on Thursday, Tom Tugendhat highlighted the emergence of what he called "a new form of state threat" from Iran.

The remarks from the security minister come in the wake of recent developments, where the UK foreign secretary revealed that British authorities have thwarted 15 separate attempts to assassinate or abduct individuals within the country. The nature of these plots and their connection to the Iranian regime has raised alarm bells in the UK's security circles.

Regarding the possibility of negotiating a renewed nuclear deal with Tehran, Tugendhat adopted a cautious stance. He asserted that no actions should inadvertently bolster the regime's claims of legitimacy or stability.

“We’re dealing with a regime that has lost legitimacy abroad, has lost legitimacy at home.”

Last week, a group of UK politicians wrote to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, calling on the government to adopt more stringent measures against Iran.

“Iran is the Middle East’s largest, most aggressive power, with an obvious commitment to revising the global order, with a growing alliance with Russia, and a desire to deepen it," read the letter by a group of prominent British figures, including two former defense ministers, a former leader of the Liberal Democrat party, and the current chair of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs.

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