Home Secretary says government taking Iranian threat to community ‘immensely seriously’
Yvette Cooper has regular dialogue with the CST over protecting the Jewish community
The Home Secretary has said the government is taking threats from Iran to prominent Jewish and Israeli citizens living in this country “immensely seriously” after a new security and intelligence report issued a stark warning.
Yvette Cooper said she was in close contact with the Community Security Trust, MI5, and with the Counter Terrorism Police over the growing problem.
The threat of physical attacks by Iran on people living in the UK increased “significantly” since 2022, a report by parliament’s intelligence watchdog warned.
It said Iran’s intelligence services were “willing and able – often through third party agents – to attempt assassination within the UK, and kidnap from the UK”. Iranian threat to Jews in UK now rivals Russia, says intelligence watchdog Report warns of ‘significant increase’ in threat from Iran to UK Jewish and Israeli interests
And while the threat is often focused on dissidents and other opponents to the regime, the report said there is also an increased threat to Jewish and Israeli interests in the UK.
Appearing on Nick Ferrari’s LBC radio show, Yvette Cooper said:”This is an issue that I have discussed many times, both with the security service, with MI5, with the Counter Terrorism Police, and also with the Community Security Trust, who provide additional support as well for Jewish communities.
“We’ve taken those threats immensely seriously. You’ll know that there have been operations, for example, major operations and arrests involving some Iran-backed plots, and we have been strengthening security around that and taking a series of further measures in terms of tackling the hostile state threat from Iran, including stronger legislative measures and requirements as well.”
Confirming the government intends to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, she said:”We have set out our intention to change the law as well, so that we can take proscribing action on organisations that are state-backed, like the IRGC.”
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