Over 550 UK Lawmakers Urge Ban on Iran's IRGC Amid Spy Charges

In the UK, there is mounting political pressure to officially designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization following recent espionage charges against three Iranian nationals accused of plotting violence against journalists from Iran International. Over 550 MPs and peers from across the political spectrum have signed a letter urging the government to ban the IRGC, citing its involvement in repression within Iran and its global terrorist activities, with signatories including prominent figures like Lord Neil Kinnock and Suella Braverman. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans for new legislation to proscribe state-backed groups like the IRGC, acknowledging current legal gaps in combating foreign state actors exploiting UK freedoms. Iranian lawmakers have condemned the UK's move, labeling it hostile and influenced by Zionist agendas, and vowed reciprocal legal measures. The UK government emphasizes that the threats posed by such state-backed organizations are increasingly complex and interconnected, requiring stronger powers than those currently available under existing terrorism laws. The debate reflects broader tensions over Iran's domestic repression, the IRGC's global activities, and the UK's national security concerns.