The United Kingdom has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, a move that will allow authorities to ban support for the group within the UK. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the decision, stating that the IRGC poses a threat to national security.
Under new government powers, expressing support for the IRGC, from offering positive opinions to providing assistance, will now be a criminal offense. Convicted individuals could face up to 14 years in prison.
The IRGC is described as a central component of Iran's security apparatus, directly answerable to the country's Supreme Leader. Its activities extend beyond conventional military operations to include intelligence gathering, the use of proxy forces, and efforts to advance Iranian state objectives abroad. The Home Office has confirmed that the statutory test for proscription has been met.
In addition to the IRGC, two other groups have been proscribed: the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and the volunteer corps of Russia's GRU, the foreign military intelligence agency. The prime minister had previously pledged to expedite the National Security (State Threats) Act, which enables these new regulations.