Why Iranian networks could be recruiting Brits for terror
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 28 April 2026
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Iranian intelligence services are suspected of actively recruiting in the UK, using AI and social networks to entice potential sign-ups.
Sky News has uncovered evidence of how apparent Iranian networks are using the chat platform Telegram to target recruits.
It follows an increase in attacks on Jewish communities across the UK – with authorities suggesting that some perpetrators may have been taking orders from Tehran.
But why might petty crooks or youngsters be tempted to become involved? How worried should we be about their activities? And what level of threat does Iran pose here in the UK?
Niall is joined by Sky New’s Home Editor Jason Farrell, whose producer infiltrated a suspected Iranian intelligence account.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Sky News, the full story first. |
| 0:10.5 | Iran's intelligence service is recruiting Brits to fight the West via social media, and this is why. |
| 0:35.0 | Hi, everyone, Neil here, and today we're going to be discussing, well, a rather troubling Sky News investigation from our Home Affairs editor Jason Farrell. |
| 0:38.9 | We're going to take you inside the Iranian networks recruiting British people for criminal |
| 0:44.2 | and terrorist activities. Along with his producer Nick, Jason has been in communication over |
| 0:49.8 | social media with someone who claims to work for Iranian intelligence. What's offered is cash in return for services or skills. |
| 0:58.0 | And it brings the conflict in the Gulf a lot closer to home. |
| 1:01.2 | The ability of foreign actors to recruit people to do damage to our national security is bigger than we the public think it is. |
| 1:11.8 | Our own intelligence services have been warning about Iranian-sponsored plots on British soil |
| 1:16.2 | for some time, and Iran's funding of terrorist groups like Hezbollah is well known. |
| 1:21.2 | So it is entirely believable that Iran would recruit in this fashion. |
| 1:26.2 | This has been going on since time in Memorial. Find someone, compromised and blackmail them |
| 1:30.7 | if you have to. Jason Farrell is our Home Affairs editor. |
| 1:34.6 | Jason, welcome back to the podcast and, and look, a fascinating investigation. But I think we need |
| 1:39.3 | to kind of almost go back to basics to begin. What level of threat does Iran really pose to us here, domestically, |
| 1:47.3 | in the UK? There's been lots of talk about intercontinental ballistic missiles, but what's the |
| 1:51.6 | reality? The reality is that we heard from Ken McCullum in October, the head of MI5, saying that |
| 1:58.2 | in the last year they had foiled 20 plots in the UK. And the year before, |
| 2:05.6 | when he'd stood up, he'd said there were roughly 20 plots then. So, you know, this is a consistent |
| 2:10.5 | and growing problem. He pointed to the fact that Iran was following the Russian example of using proxies and had a warning to people |
| 2:22.1 | who were interested in who may not be ideologically minded themselves, but maybe motivated solely |
| 2:29.0 | by cash to do things for foreign intelligence service. There are now new laws in place that will make |
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