Iran-backed terrorist cells could be deployed to launch attacks in the UK if the crisis between London and Tehran deepens, intelligence sources have warned.
Among senior intelligence officers, Iran ranks behind only Russia and China as the nation state posing the greatest threat to Britain’s national security and the seizure of the UK-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero will have intensified concerns in MI5 and MI6.
Intelligence agencies believe Iran has organised and funded sleeper terror cells across Europe including the UK and could greenlight attacks in response to a conflict in the Gulf.
The cells are operated by radicals linked to Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group.
Counter-terror police disrupted a cell in 2015 that was caught stockpiling tonnes of explosive materials at businesses on the outskirts of London.
A source said: “Iran uses proxies and they have control of a network of individuals linked to Hizbollah.
“Iran has Hizbollah operatives in position to carry out a terrorist attack in the event of a conflict. That is the nature of the domestic threat Iran poses to the UK.”
MI5 and the Metropolitan Police are confident the 2015 raids severely disrupted Iran’s terror activities in the UK but cells are widespread in Europe.
The 2015 plot, whose existence was first disclosed by the Telegraph only last monthafter it had been kept hushed up by authorities, was described as “proper organised terrorism”. Another source said enough explosive materials were stored to do “a lot of damage”.
The London-based cell was not operating in isolation but part of an international Hizbollah plot to lay the groundwork for future attacks, according to well-placed sources.