Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) by introducing legislation in the next parliamentary session in July. Speaking during a visit to Kenton United Synagogue in north-west London on Thursday, Starmer said he wanted “to make Britain a country where our Jewish community feels safe”.
The synagogue was targeted in an arson attack on Saturday night, causing minor smoke damage but no injuries, according to the Community Security Trust. A 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to arson not endangering life at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday. An Iran-linked group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, claimed responsibility.
In an interview with the Jewish Chronicle, Starmer expressed concern about the increasing use of proxy agents by the Iranian regime. He said legislation to enable the proscription of the IRGC, which Labour pledged in opposition, would be brought forward “in a few weeks” for the start of the parliamentary session in July. The government is expected to introduce legislation giving proscription-like powers to address state-sponsored groups in the next King’s Speech.
Starmer also responded to figures showing the number of British Jews emigrating to Israel is at a 40-year high, stating his determination to make Britain a place where the Jewish community feels safe. He called the fight against antisemitism “a fight for all of us, a fight for the Britain we love”.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcomed the decision, noting it had long been called for. The EU listed the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in January. Antisemitic incidents in the UK have risen significantly since the 7 October attacks, with the Community Security Trust recording 3,700 incidents in 2025.
