The United Kingdom government is set to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, classifying it as a threat to national security. This move, announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will grant authorities new powers to prosecute and imprison individuals found to be working on behalf of the group within Britain.
"These new powers will make it easier to prosecute and lock up anyone carrying out their dirty work here in Britain," Starmer stated. The government cited the IRGC's alleged involvement in destabilizing activities and attacks on U.K. soil as justification for the designation. U.K. officials claim that over the past year, the IRGC has backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks within the United Kingdom.
Recent events have intensified scrutiny of the IRGC's activities in the U.K. In March, four men were arrested on suspicion of conducting surveillance targeting locations and individuals associated with the Jewish community in London. Two of these individuals were subsequently charged with engaging in conduct that likely aided a foreign intelligence service between July and August of the previous year.
The new designation and associated powers are part of a broader governmental strategy to bolster protections for Jewish communities in the U.K. The government has pledged over £250 million, approximately $333 million, for enhanced security measures over the next three years. This funding aims to strengthen community safety following a series of incidents in London and a national terror threat level increase from substantial to severe.