Overview
- Aimen Dean, a former al‑Qaida member who later spied for MI5 and MI6, says a 9/11‑ or 7/7‑scale attack is a matter of when, not if.
- Dean claims the UK harbors hundreds of dormant al‑Qaida operatives who could be activated to strike.
- He argues Iran poses the greatest danger to the UK and Europe, alleging Tehran hosted al‑Qaida and enabled operations that harmed British nationals.
- The government’s current threat level is substantial, and MI5 says Islamist terrorism is the most significant threat by volume.
- Security Minister Dan Jarvis reported MI5 has thwarted 20 potentially lethal Iran‑linked plots since 2022, as officials also cite the October 2 Manchester synagogue attack that killed two.