The United Kingdom will designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, the Home Office announced on Monday, marking a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions with Tehran. The move bans any form of support for the IRGC, a central branch of the Iranian military, after years of political debate over the issue.
Proscription Details and Legal Implications
The Home Office stated that the proscription is based on evidence that the IRGC is engaged in foreign power threat activity, and the designation is necessary to protect UK national security. While legally equivalent to proscription, the move is not identical in legal terms. It criminalises supporting the IRGC in any way, including membership, fundraising, and organising meetings.
In addition to the IRGC, the UK will also outlaw the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR), blamed for attacks on Jewish targets in Britain, and the Russian Federation Volunteer Corps (GRU), an international branch of Russian military intelligence.
Rationale Behind the Decision
The government cited several threats on UK soil as justification, including a plot to assassinate two Iran International television journalists and cyber-attacks against British targets. The decision overturns the previous Conservative government's stance, which had refrained from banning the IRGC.
The Home Office said: “Having carefully considered all the evidence, the home secretary has concluded that there is sufficient basis to reasonably believe that each of these bodies is engaged in foreign power threat activity, and that each designation is necessary to protect the safety and interests of the United Kingdom.”
Diplomatic and Security Impact
The proscription is expected to further strain UK-Iran relations, already tense amid the broader conflict between Iran and the US. Officials have previously warned that such a move could lead to the expulsion of the UK ambassador to Tehran. The ban also aligns the UK with the US, which designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in 2019.
