- UK criminalises support for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard under new national security law.
- Anyone expressing support for the IRGC could face up to 14 years in prison.
- Also designates two Iran- and Russia-linked groups over espionage and sabotage threats.
July 13, (THEWILL) — The United Kingdom has unveiled sweeping new national security legislation that criminalises support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warning that anyone found promoting, assisting, or expressing support for the organisation could face up to 14 years in prison.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the measures on Monday, declaring the IRGC an official threat to Britain’s national security as the government intensified its response to what it described as growing state-sponsored aggression by Iran and Russia.
The move forms part of a broader security crackdown aimed at dismantling foreign proxy networks accused of espionage, sabotage, intimidation, and politically motivated violence on British soil.
In a written statement to Parliament, Mahmood said the new legislation would make it a criminal offence to support the IRGC in any form, including publicly praising the organisation, expressing favourable opinions about it, or providing assistance to its activities.
Alongside the IRGC, the UK also designated the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and the volunteer corps of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency under the new powers.
The designations will grant police and intelligence agencies expanded authority to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in espionage, foreign interference, sabotage, and violent attacks linked to the three organisations.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the legislation underscored his government’s determination to prevent hostile foreign states from operating freely within Britain.
“We will never allow Britain to become a playground for states seeking to spread fear, division, and violence on our streets.
“We have already taken tough action against the Iranian regime and those linked to it, as well as Russian operatives and networks targeting our country.
“These new powers will make it easier to prosecute and imprison anyone carrying out their dirty work here in Britain,” Starmer said.
Under the new legislation, those convicted of carrying out serious sabotage, including acts such as arson on behalf of the designated organisations, could face life imprisonment.
British authorities said intelligence assessments linked the IRGC to seven attacks in the UK, many involving Jewish and Israeli communities.
Among the incidents cited was the antisemitic arson attack on four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on March 23, an attack publicly claimed by the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right.
According to Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, at least 20 suspected Iran-backed plots targeting individuals in the UK have been uncovered over the past year, with several assessed as capable of causing serious injury or death.
Mahmood accused Tehran and Moscow of increasingly relying on criminal proxies to advance their interests abroad.
“Iran and Russia are using proxies and thugs to do their dirty work on our shores. I have rapidly designated three groups so we can track down those working for them and put them behind bars,” she said.
Home Office Minister Angela Eagle described the IRGC as a central pillar of Iran’s security establishment, reporting directly to the country’s Supreme Leader.
She said the organisation’s activities extend beyond conventional military operations to intelligence gathering, coordination of proxy groups, and covert operations designed to advance Iran’s strategic interests overseas.
The British government argued that the tougher measures were necessary because state-backed threats have become more frequent, sophisticated, and increasingly reliant on proxy organisations to carry out attacks, espionage, and intimidation abroad.
The legislation is expected to be fast-tracked under the National Security (State Threats) Act, reinforcing Britain’s legal framework against hostile foreign state activity and strengthening protections for individuals and communities considered at heightened risk.
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