UK Proscribes Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has declared that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be officially designated as a threat to the United Kingdom's national security.
Utilizing newly granted government powers, Mahmood will implement a ban on any support for the IRGC, a group that has been associated with issuing death threats and acts of intimidation within the UK.
In a written statement presented to Parliament, Mahmood outlined that any form of support for the IRGC—including expressing favorable opinions or providing assistance—will now constitute an offence. Individuals found guilty may face 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 affiliated with Russia's GRU, the foreign military intelligence agency.
The Prime Minister had committed in April of this year to expedite the National Security (State Threats) Act, enabling draft regulations for proscription to be submitted to Parliament.
Home Office minister Angela Eagle confirmed in a written statement that the Home Secretary is satisfied the statutory criteria have been met concerning these three entities.
"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a central component of the Iranian state's security apparatus, answerable directly to Iran's Supreme Leader.
Its role extends far beyond that of a conventional military force. It encompasses intelligence activity, the use of proxy actors, and the projection of influence designed to advance Iranian state objectives."
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