Iran Has Made 10 Attempts To Kidnap, Kill Britons, M15 Head Says

Iran’s intelligence services have made at least 10 attempts to kidnap or kill British nationals since the beginning of the year, Ken McCallum, director general of the United Kingdom’s M15 Security Service said on Wednesday. The attempts also included individuals based in the UK perceived as enemies of the regime, he said during his annual threat update at M15 headquarters.

McCallum called the Iranian intelligence services “a sophisticated adversary” that either used its own staff or enlisted others to work on its behalf. He added that the operatives sometimes take “reckless action” both in Western countries or in Iran if successful in luring targets there.

Also on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Iran of “increasing aggressiveness” toward his country by detaining its citizens in what he called “unacceptable hostage-taking” in remarks at the end of a G20 leaders summit in Indonesia. His remarks came on the same day that Iran said several French intelligence agents had been arrested in connection with the ongoing anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic.