In March 2026, the US and Israel started another sustained bombing campaign against Iran. The latest Iran Israel war, that have seen numerous short bombing campaigns against each other. With other countries associated to the US in the region now getting dragged into the conflict. This follows decades of Iranian threats and war through proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel. With Israel striking back at their state sponsors in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

The major strikes from Israel against Iran in June 2025 were joined by the US. Who used B2 bombers to strike deep into the Iranian nuclear capability using their bunker busters bombs. However, although Donald Trump exclaimed they had devastated the Iranian nuclear program. It would appear that in 2026 with a weakened Iranian leadership, the US and Israel have decided that this time the excuse for bombing Iran would be regime change. So the Iran Israel conflict starts all over again.

Although Iran is 2800 miles from the UK, and the British government tries to take a defensive stance over offensive approach, modern warfare rarely remains confined to the Iran Israel immediate geography. Therefore the continued conflicts in the region can have an effect on the UK security industry.

Iran Israel Geopolitical Spillover

The increased geopolitical tension between Iran Israel, the US and their respective allies, does cause geopolitical spillover into Europe and the UK. The Iranian proxies, such as Hezbollah will have minimal impact against the might of the US military in the gulf, and have been weakened over recent years, so their impact in the current conflict is limited. However these groups can support in coordinating proxy action in the UK.

The Iranian proxies are well funded and used to modern warfare, with decades of training enabling them to conduct surveillance operations to target dissidents, businesses associated with Israel, or embassies in the UK. Showing an ability to strike deep into the heart of the British establishment.

For those UK security operators conducting a guarding role of businesses or embassies, the latest Iran Israel conflict does raise the stakes for those guards to be able to identify potential hostile reconnaissance from these proxy groups on UK soil.

Terrorist Attacks

With the bombing of Islamic countries, and indiscriminate deaths of Muslims, the war proves a great catalyst for those considering some form of attack on UK soil, to avenge the deaths of their fallen martyrs.

It’s no secret that there are extremist mosques in the UK, who have a very clear agenda against the UK Jewish population and Israel. Who will use the latest Iran Israel war to push their followers into committing the ultimate sacrifice against UK targets in the name of Allah.

With the daily pictures of Islamic countries getting pounded by multi-million dollar missiles by the US and Israel, also enough to push self-radicalised Muslims into committing lone wolf or small-cell attacks against UK citizens. Striking fear into the UK population.

This means that UK security operators, in whatever the role they are employed in, must be prepared to manage a mass-casualty attack. Or if they feel confident to do so, confront the jihadists face to face. To reduce the impact or stop a terrorist attack on UK soil.

Critical National Infrastructure

Iran has been very direct in its targeting of critical national infrastructure in other gulf countries, such as airports or oil refineries. With the likelihood that UK infrastructure would be a high priority target, albeit one that may take more planning and resources than lower level clandestine ops or a lone wolf terrorist attack.

Potentially this type of attack on UK critical national infrastructure might not be physically possible. But with support from Moscow or China, there is the potential that Iran could use cyber warfare for an attack on UK energy, utilities, ports, or aviation. All of which have been subjected to cyber attacks previously.

From a physical security perspective, gatehouse guards and roaming dog patrols are often the first line of defence in these well-secured locations. So they have got to be focussed at this uncertain time in a world of modern warfare to deter a potential attack. It is not the time to have feet up in gatehouses or spending time in the dog van when the risk is much greater due to the Iran Israel conflict.

Protests and Travel Disruption due to the Iran Israel Wars

Since the start of the most recent Israeli / Palestine conflict after the horrific October 7th attacks by Hamas, we’ve seen continuous protests in London and other major cities throughout the UK. Which is likely to be the case for any continued action by the US and Israel against Iran.

These continuous protests are not very British! Protests and demonstrations are a right in democracy. But continually disrupting normal UK citizens going about their day is not the behaviour you’d expect in a western democracy where citizens respect the rights of everyone, not just the rights that suit their own agenda.

This is likely to continue, as those groups who don’t necessarily associate themselves as integrated UK citizens, continue their protests against the US and Israel across UK cities.

For security professionals, they need to be ready to manage passing protests and demonstrations that may disrupt or add risk to the workplaces that they are securing. For close protection professionals, they need to stay ahead of the moving protests to ensure that their principals don’t get caught up in it. The then Prince Charles and student protests is a great example of this going very wrong!

Economic Impacts on the Security Industry

War and conflict are not actually a bad thing from a security industry perspective. Security resource is often one of the first to be cut during tough economic times like the UK is currently facing. But when the threat is so high, and conflict always appears to be bubbling on the edge of boiling over throughout the Middle East. It would be a tough call from an economic perspective to remove, or reduce the standard of, security resource with so much uncertainty in the world. Then add in a US President who presents as nothing short of unstable and certainly unpredictable, who can’t be replied upon to not go after the next regime change that presents itself as an opportunity. Further increasing the threat level in the UK.

For UK security professionals, conflict like the Iran Israel war, present themselves as an opportunity to progress in the industry at a time when security resource is being looked on as a necessity and enabler, rather than an overhead. So keeping training and CVs up to date ready to apply for your next role or progress your career is important.

What’s Next for the Security Industry

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the Iranian nuclear agenda being ready to launch for decades, which has never seemingly ended in a direct attack on Israel from Iran. Although proxy attacks have frequently occurred. So this Iran Israel war / tension / conflict / hate, or however it might be termed, is likely to always continue in some guise.

For UK security operators, there will always be a necessity to manage potential threats due to the Iran Israel geopolitical spillover into their nearby regions and across the world to UK soil. The war heightens the risk of targeted proxy attacks and hostile reconnaissance. Plus the risk of lone wolf or small terrorist cell attacks increases considerably, as UK Muslims look to avenge the deaths of their innocent fellow countryman who have been sadly caught up in the latest Iran Israel war. Therefore UK security operators have got to be switched on to this threat, and manage it effectively alongside their ‘non-war time’ duties.

Critical National Infrastructure would be a high-value target, from either a physical or cyber attack supported by Russia and China. With security operators often the first line of defence against a physical attack.

But for most UK citizens and security operators, the main sign that the UK is involved in some form of Iran Israel conflict is the continuous protests and demonstrations on our streets. With travel disruption, blockading of roads, or causing a nuisance in our large retail outlets becoming the norm, and the main sign that UK citizens and security operators are caught up in this conflict whether they like it or not.

Economically, sadly war is not a bad thing for the UK security industry. As while the Iran Israel wars and other conflicts and tension around the world continue, it keeps us in jobs. Therefore UK security operators must remain vigilant, keep on top of their training, focus on the war-related threats and not just their normal duties, and ensure that security is seen as an enabler to support in business as usual against a broad picture of continued and emerging threats.

Article written by Tom Richmond, Security Consultant and Managing Director of Security and Safety Solutions.

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