Terror attacks backed by the Iranian regime are likely to increase as a result of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, a senior minister has warned. Jonathan Reynolds said it would be “naive” to think the risk won’t intensify after Donald Trump’s onslaught on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The Business Secretary told Sky News: “This is not hypothetical. There is not a week goes by without some sort of Iranian cyber attack on a key part of UK critical national infrastructure. “There is Iranian activity on the streets of the UK, which is wholly unacceptable.”
He added: “It’s already at a significant level. I think it would be naive to say that that wouldn’t potentially increase.
“But again, there’s a choice here for Iran: Do they want to continue being an agent of instability in the region and the wider world? Where has that got them? Where has it got the Iranian people?
“There’s a better course of action for Iran to take here, and I think they should consider that.”
His warning comes after a British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences.
The man is alleged to have kept the RAF Akrotiri base on the island under surveillance for Iran.
The suspect spy, who has not been named, is of Azerbaijani descent and is alleged to have links with Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, local media reported.
RAF Akrotiri is Britain’s biggest overseas military base and is vital for UK operations in the Middle East.
The man was arrested on Friday following intelligence that he was allegedly planning an imminent terrorist attack.
He is alleged to have lived in a flat in the Zakaki suburb of Limassol, close to Akrotiri, and was observed near the base carrying a camera with a long lens and three mobile phones.
According to reports, the man appeared before a district court on Saturday and was detained for eight more days.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.”
Fighter jets, surveillance, transport and refuelling aircraft are all based at RAF Akrotiri.
Last year, Typhoon fast jets from the base were used to help protect Israeli skies from Iranian attacks.
Typhoons shot down a number of Iranian drones aimed at Israel in April 2024; however, they have not been involved in the current fighting between the two Middle Eastern nations.
RAF Akrotiri is also used for flights as part of the UK’s mission targeting so-called Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.