The UK government announced that it will officially designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, marking a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between London and Tehran.
The Home Office confirmed it is moving to ban support for the IRGC, a core branch of the Iranian military. Under the new designation, which is equivalent to proscription though not legally identical, supporting the organization in any way will become a criminal offense in the UK.
The government stated the decision follows “a number of threats on UK soil,” citing a foiled plot to assassinate two journalists from Iran International television, alongside an increase in cyber-attacks directed at British targets. The move effectively reverses a previous decision by the Conservative government to withhold an outright ban.
In a coordinated sweep against foreign threat activity, the Home Office also outlawed the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR), linked to domestic antisemitic attacks, and the Russian Federation Volunteer Corps (GRU), a branch of Russian military intelligence.
The IRGC designation is expected to severely cool relations with Tehran amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US. Officials have previously warned that such a move will likely trigger the expulsion of the British ambassador from Iran.
