Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been categorized as a terrorist group. Keir Starmer announced that this influential military entity will be labeled a national security threat, carrying potential life imprisonment for its members. The IRGC is one of the initial organizations to be identified under the new state threats authority. Additionally, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps will also receive this designation.
Pending approval by Parliament in the upcoming week, individuals engaged in sabotage acts such as arson on behalf of these groups could face life imprisonment. During an address to the Jewish community at Downing Street’s garden, Keir Starmer emphasized the IRGC’s extensive history of utilizing proxies and criminal networks to target individuals in the UK.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the IRGC-linked criminal group, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, publicly claimed responsibility for seven attacks in the UK associated with Jewish and Israeli communities. The IMCR, backed by IRGC members, orchestrated these attacks, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force likely directing such actions across Europe, as per the Home Office.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has a reasonable belief that the IRGC has engaged in or supported foreign power threat activities. A ministerial statement indicated that the Home Secretary must reasonably believe that a designated body is or has been involved in foreign power threats to safeguard the UK’s safety or interests.
The statement further elaborated that the IRGC plays a significant role in Iran’s security structure, reporting directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran. Its functions extend beyond traditional military duties, encompassing intelligence operations, the utilization of proxy agents, and influence projection to advance Iranian state objectives.