A new report from the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights highlights Iran as one of the most active perpetrators of transnational repression (TNR) on British soil, warning of escalating threats that include assassination plots, physical attacks, and intimidation campaigns targeting dissidents and journalists.
According to the report, MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing have dealt with more than 20 threat-to-life cases linked to Iran since 2022, with the Homeland Security Group assessing Tehran’s threat level as “the greatest physical attack risk currently facing the UK from any state actor.” Witness testimony described a range of tactics used by the clerical dictatorship, including targeted surveillance, harassment of family members abroad, asset freezes, smear campaigns, hacking, doxing, and impersonation.
Hossein Abedini of the National Council of Resistance of Iran told the Committee that so-called “cultural centres” in the UK operate as fronts for intelligence-gathering and surveillance of the Iranian diaspora. Journalists reporting on Iran have been frequent targets, with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) detailing gendered abuse, sexualized threats, fabricated scandals, and doctored pornographic images circulated to silence women reporters.
Here is the link to the 7th Report of the @HumanRightsCtte on Transnational Repression https://t.co/xi8N00vIUW
Seehttps://t.co/Qvmecuv01T— Lord (David) Alton (@DavidAltonHL) July 30, 2025
The Committee warned that Iranian operations have grown more sophisticated and high-risk in recent years, with intelligence assessments suggesting the threat could escalate further if Tehran’s intent or capabilities expand. In response, Iran has been placed under the “enhanced tier” of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), requiring entities acting on its behalf in the UK to declare their activities or face criminal penalties.
Lawmakers urged the government to adopt stronger measures, including better data collection, specialized police training, and closer international cooperation to protect victims of transnational repression. The report concludes that foreign-backed threats on UK soil pose a “serious and under-recognized risk” to fundamental rights, with Iran identified as one of the most dangerous state actors involved.