‘A direct threat to the UK and Israel’: MPs call for tougher action against Iran at ‘kamikaze drone’ display

He said that the group acquired the drone from Ukraine and brought it to Parliament “to spotlight not only the Iranian regime’s role in Putin’s campaign of indiscriminate violence in Ukraine, but also the growing threat from the Iran–Russia alliance - an axis of terror already active in the UK.”

“Iran is Russia’s chief military supporter in the conflict, with its Shahed-136 drones serving as the most ubiquitous and devastating weapon”, said the UANI text accompanying the drone.

Russia has launched over 38,000 Iranian Shahed drones and their variants at Ukraine in 2025 – including over 5,000 in September alone, according to UANI.

Labour MP David Taylor paid tribute to UANI and Aarabi, who helped organise the drone display in Parliament.

“Having visited Ukraine twice, I’ve seen first-hand the devastation these Iranian regime-made drones cause to homes, hospitals, and innocent civilians. UANI’s display organised by Kasra Aarabi in Parliament is a stark reminder of the human cost of Putin’s evil war and the Iranian regime’s hell-bent determination to destroy Western values.

“The Iranian regime poses a real and direct threat to the UK and Israel, to European national security, and to their own people who deserve freedom and peace. Britain must stand firm with Ukraine and our allies to hold those arming tyrannical regimes to account.”

He also took aim at former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who made frequent appearances on Iranian state propaganda channel PressTV, including presenting a television show.

"I hope certain MPs who appeared on Iranian state television visited the exhibition and reflect on the true nature of the regime they apologise for”, Taylor added.

Aarabi claimed that UANI’s display in Westminster has angered the Iranian regime.

"Iran’s foreign minister is angry that we revealed his regime’s true face — blaming UANI for displaying the Shahed drone, rather than the regime that supplied it to Russia or Putin who fired it at Ukraine."

He continued: “My own message to Islamic Republic’s foreign minister is simple: stop spreading terror across the world, and there will be nothing to expose. Until then, UANI remains committed to revealing the Iranian regime’s hostile activities. And the Ayatollah should know – more is coming.”

He added: "Having MPs and Peers witness first-hand this Iranian weapon system, fired by Putin against Ukraine, brought to life the nature of the Iran–Russia threat — one that endangers not just our allies, but our own national security.

"We should not forget that the terror threat from Iran’s regime is increasing exponentially. More than 20 plots have been foiled in the UK since 2022, and senior Iranian regime officials have even threatened to use Shahed drones in other European cities.”

The speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, delivered a speech next to the drone and made reference to it when he hosted the speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, last week.

In a speech in Portcullis House on October 15, Hoyle told guests: “As this massive Iranian-designed Shahed 136 drone here so starkly reminds us, Russia’s war of aggression involves many malign foreign actors, Iran being one of them. These kamikaze drones, which are often loaded with explosives, are not only cheap to make but deadly.

“And their sights are not just set on Ukraine. These unmanned aircraft have breached the airspace of Romania and Poland, and similar sightings have been reported in other countries including in: Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania.

He added: “As Russia tests NATO defences, the frontline is getting closer. Not only should our support for Ukraine heighten, but we must also not let our guard down.”

The display was removed today, but seeing the Iranian war weapon in Parliament was “sobering” to a lot of MPs, according to Tom Tugendhat.

“It brought home to everyone the threat Ukraine faces today and we could face tomorrow. The murderous machine is this generation’s V1, fired at homes and families by another dictatorship”, the former security minister told the JC.

And Lord Pickles, the former communities secretary and Conservative Friends of Israel’s parliamentary chairman in the House of Lords, added that it was important that parliamentarians had no illusions about Iran’s role in destabilising conflicts across the globe.

“No matter where you look in the world, where there is conflict, where children are murdered, where the elderly are killed or displaced, where sexual violence is used to intimidate, Iranian money or influence is always in the mix.”

He added: “Its economy may be on its knees, but Iran will always find resources to maim and kill. Iran is the great disruptor, and it's about time the West woke up to the threat”.