International Desk – In a significant shift in foreign and domestic defense policy, the United Kingdom is set to officially designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
The British Home Office announced on Monday that following years of intense political and diplomatic deliberation, the government has decided to completely outlaw all operations and support for the IRGC within the country.
According to an official statement from the Home Office, the British Home Secretary finalized the decision after a comprehensive review of intelligence reports and evidentiary findings.
The government concluded that the IRGC, alongside specific other entities, has been actively engaging in hostile operations backed by foreign powers that directly threaten the internal security, sovereignty, and national interests of the United Kingdom.
Direct Threats to British Soil
The sweeping counter-terrorism measure comes in the wake of escalating security breaches on British soil linked directly to Iranian state actors.
The Home Office cited a string of severe provocations, most notably a foiled assassination plot targeting two journalists from the UK-based satellite television network, Iran International.
Additionally, intelligence officials uncovered direct IRGC complicity in a series of sophisticated cyberattacks directed at critical infrastructure across the United Kingdom.
Under this new proscription order, providing financial assistance, expressing overt support, or campaigning on behalf of the IRGC within the UK will be treated as a severe criminal offense.
Broader Crackdown on Hostile Foreign Entities
The legislative crackdown is not isolated to Tehran’s elite military branch. The British government simultaneously announced bans on two other foreign-linked organizations:
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Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR): An organization accused of orchestrating a series of targeted attacks on Jewish religious and community centers across the UK.
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Russian Federation Volunteer Corps (GRU): Identified by British authorities as an international wing operating under the direct command of Russian military intelligence.
A Sharp Diplomatic Departure
This decisive move marks a total reversal of the previous Conservative government’s cautious policy, which had long resisted formal proscription to maintain fragile lines of communication with Tehran.
While the policy shift has been welcomed by security hawks, high-ranking British officials have previously warned that blacklisting the IRGC could push UK-Iran diplomatic ties to total collapse.
Experts anticipate that the Iranian government may retaliate swiftly by expelling the British Ambassador from Tehran, raising immediate concerns regarding the safety of British nationals and economic assets currently situated in the volatile Middle East.