Overview
- Aimen Dean, a former Al-Qaeda member who later worked undercover for MI5 and MI6, says another large-scale attack is a matter of when, not if.
- Dean alleges there are hundreds of Al-Qaeda sleeper agents in the UK and predicts more lone-actor operations linked to Iranian interests.
- He argues Iran poses the most significant strategic threat to the UK and Europe, a view reported from his interview but not independently verified in the articles.
- UK authorities say Islamist terrorism remains the most significant threat by volume, and ministers cite MI5 in stating 20 potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots have been countered since 2022.
- Recent context includes the October 2 Manchester synagogue attack, while no specific imminent plot is disclosed in the latest coverage.