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The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has declared that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be formally recognized as a threat to the UK’s national security. Utilizing newly granted government authorities, Mahmood plans to prohibit any form of support for the IRGC, an organization linked to death threats, intimidation, and violent actions within the United Kingdom.
In a detailed written statement presented to Parliament, Mahmood outlined the new offence encompassing a wide range of activities—from expressing favorable opinions about the IRGC to actively assisting the group—which could now lead to imprisonment for up to 14 years. Alongside the IRGC, two additional organizations are being proscribed: the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and the volunteer corps associated with Russia’s GRU intelligence agency. These changes will empower law enforcement and intelligence bodies with greater capabilities to combat espionage, foreign interference, sabotage, and direct attacks linked to these entities.
The IRGC is reported to have orchestrated seven attacks targeting locations associated with Jewish and Israeli communities in the UK. Earlier this year, the prime minister committed to accelerating the National Security (State Threats) Act, which has now reached a stage where draft regulations concerning proscription can be introduced to Parliament. In support of the new measures, Sir Keir Starmer emphasized: “We will never let Britain be a playground for states who want to spread fear, division and violence on our streets.” He noted the government’s ongoing robust approach to confronting the Iranian regime and Russian agents, highlighting that these new powers will enhance the ability to prosecute individuals conducting malicious acts on British soil.
Should Parliament approve the proposals, penalties could escalate substantially, with those found guilty of sabotage, including arson on behalf of these groups, facing life imprisonment. The legislation also simplifies the prosecution process by removing the necessity to prove a direct foreign power connection in every case. Home Secretary Mahmood explained, “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.” Supporting this assertion, MI5 disclosed that within the past year, it has identified at least 20 potentially deadly Iranian-backed plots targeting individuals in the UK. The IRGC remains a central element of Iranian operations, especially those targeting Jewish communities and dissidents.
Established after the 1979 Iranian revolution to protect the nation’s Islamic regime, the IRGC has grown into a dominant state force with a presence extending beyond Iran’s borders, counting roughly 190,000 active members. Western governments have repeatedly accused the group of sponsoring terrorism internationally, with countries including Australia, Canada, and the United States already designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization. In January, the European Union added the IRGC to its terror list following its connection to harsh crackdowns on Iranian protestors earlier that month. The UK, which had previously been slower to act, now contends that enhanced powers are necessary due to a rise in state-sponsored hostile actions—characterized by growing scale, complexity, and the increased use of proxy groups. In a written statement, Home Office minister Angela Eagle described the IRGC as “a central component of the Iranian state’s security apparatus, answerable directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader,” with responsibilities that extend well beyond conventional military roles to encompass intelligence operations, proxy utilization, and influence projection aligned with Iran’s state objectives
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