The UK government has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a threat to national security, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Wednesday. Under new state threat powers, individuals found supporting or assisting the group could face up to 14 years in prison, with those carrying out sabotage on its behalf facing life imprisonment.
Three Groups Designated
The government is laying draft regulations before Parliament to designate the IRGC, along with the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Volunteer Corps, as threats to national security. The move aims to tackle Iranian-backed groups recruiting criminals for attacks targeting the Jewish community.
The Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right is a new terrorism group with suspected links to pro-Iranian networks, according to Israel's ministry for diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism. It has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks, including the torching of Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green earlier this year.
Recent Attacks
The designation follows a series of arson attacks at Jewish sites in London earlier this year, as well as a double stabbing in Golders Green. Speaking to members of the Jewish community in the garden of Downing Street, Sir Keir said the IRGC has a “long history of using proxies and criminal networks to target people in the UK.”
“A criminal group called the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right have publicly claimed seven attacks at UK locations linked to Jewish and Israeli communities, and sitting behind them were members of Iran's IRGC,” the Prime Minister said. “Of course, the IRGC itself has a long history of using proxies and criminal networks to target people in the UK, including our Jewish communities.”
Government Response
The government has already announced more than £250 million in investment to increase policing in Jewish communities, including a surge in police presence, patrols, and security outside synagogues and schools, as well as specialist plain-clothes officers.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Iran and Russia are using proxies and thugs to do their dirty work on our shores. I have rapidly designated three groups so those working for them will be tracked down and put behind bars. I will leave no stone unturned to keep our country safe.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she had summoned the Iranian ambassador to discuss the country's “hostile activities” in the UK. “We will not tolerate threats to our security or to the safety of those who live here,” she said in a written statement. “Iran's actions are irresponsible and unacceptable.”
Reactions
Lord Walney, a former government independent adviser on political violence and disruption, welcomed the move but said it did not amount to “full proscription.” He said: “After years of campaigning, it is very welcome to see the IRGC finally banned. This group has exported terror and extremism onto British streets on behalf of the Iranian regime for too long. This designation falls short of full proscription under the Terrorism Act, so the incoming prime minister must monitor carefully whether these laws are adequate to keep our streets safe.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “The decision to designate the IRGC as a foreign state threat is welcome, but long overdue. The laws to make this happen should have been passed months ago. The IRGC is an instrument of oppression inside Iran and a direct threat to our national security. Conservatives offered to work with ministers to pass emergency legislation, but Labour dithered and delayed. The Government must urgently explain how this designation will be enforced, and on what timetable.”
