The United Kingdom has banned Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and imposed new national security powers, accusing an Iran-linked proxy group of carrying out a series of antisemitic arson attacks against Jewish sites in London. British officials stated that the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR) claimed responsibility for seven attacks this year targeting Jewish and Israeli-linked locations, as well as a Persian-language media outlet critical of Iran's government. According to the U.K. government, members of the IRGC's elite Qods Force were directing the group's operations across Europe.
These attacks included fires set at synagogues, Jewish charity ambulances, and other Jewish community sites in London. No injuries were reported in connection with these incidents. The British government also designated Russia's GRU Volunteer Corps, alleging it acts as a proxy for Russian military intelligence by recruiting individuals online for sabotage and hostile operations.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the new measures send a clear message to foreign adversaries. "We will never let Britain be a playground for states who want to spread fear, division and violence on our streets," Starmer said. "Anyone acting on behalf of those who threaten our national security should be in no doubt that there is no place for you in Britain."
New National Security Powers
If Parliament approves the designations, individuals carrying out acts of sabotage, including arson, on behalf of the IRGC, IMCR, or Russia's GRU Volunteer Corps could face life imprisonment. Supporting or assisting these groups could result in prison sentences of up to 14 years. The new authorities, established under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, are intended to make it easier for prosecutors to secure convictions by removing the need to prove a direct foreign government connection in every case.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accused both Tehran and Moscow of utilizing criminal proxies for hostile operations within the United Kingdom. "Iran and Russia are using proxies and thugs to do their dirty work on our shores," Mahmood said.
British intelligence officials report that Iran-backed proxy groups have increasingly recruited members of criminal organizations to conduct sabotage, intimidation, and physical attacks across Europe, often targeting Jewish communities and Iranian dissidents. MI5 has identified at least 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots against individuals in Britain over the past year. The government has previously sanctioned over 550 Iranian-linked individuals and entities and has committed £250 million over three years to enhance security for Jewish communities.
The crackdown follows weeks after two Romanian men were sentenced for stabbing a journalist working for a Persian-language television station in London, an act a British judge attributed to the Iranian state.
Iran had not immediately commented on the announcement as of Monday.