UK bans support for Iran’s IRGC and a linked group over antisemitic attacks in Britain

Britain has banned support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a linked group. This decision, made on Monday, utilizes new government powers aimed at preventing the use of state-sponsored proxies. The ban follows a series of antisemitic attacks in Britain, including the torching of four Jewish community ambulances in London. The British government and intelligence agencies have expressed growing concern over foreign powers employing organized crime groups or low-level criminals for activities such as surveillance and sabotage on their behalf.

The UK government is proposing to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist threat, utilizing new powers to criminalize state proxies. This move, announced on Monday, follows accusations that the IRGC engineered anti-Semitic attacks in the UK. The proposed legislation would ban support for the IRGC and make it a criminal offense to assist them in UK-related activities. The government stated this is part of a broader effort to combat foreign state-backed activity, including espionage and physical attacks. Alongside the IRGC, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and Russia's GRU Volunteer Corps are also slated for designation. If approved by Parliament, individuals conducting sabotage on behalf of these groups could face life imprisonment.

The United Kingdom has banned Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and introduced new powers to combat foreign-backed sabotage. This action follows the UK government's attribution of a series of antisemitic arson attacks on British Jewish sites to an Iran-linked proxy group, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR). British officials stated that the IRGC's Qods Force was "almost certainly" directing the IMCR's operations across Europe, which included attacks on synagogues and Jewish community sites in London. The new measures, enacted under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, will allow for harsher penalties, including life imprisonment, for individuals acting on behalf of designated groups like the IRGC and IMCR. The government also designated Russia's GRU Volunteer Corps, accusing both Iran and Russia of using proxies for hostile operations within the UK.

The UK Home Office has announced its intention to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, significantly escalating diplomatic tensions with Tehran. This decision, made after considering evidence of foreign power threat activity, will make it a criminal offense to support the IRGC. The government cited threats on UK soil, including a plot to assassinate journalists and cyber-attacks on British targets, as reasons for this move. The Home Office also stated it will outlaw the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right and the Russian Federation Volunteer Corps. This action is expected to further strain relations between the UK and Iran.