New UK law could pave way for tougher action against Iranian terror groups, including IRGC

The United Kingdom has introduced a new bill, the National Security (State Threats) Bill, which could significantly enhance its ability to counter foreign state-linked threats. The legislation, expected to be implemented as soon as next month, would grant the Home Secretary the authority to designate organizations, particularly Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as posing a threat to Britain's national security.

Under the proposed law, "foreign power threat activity" is defined to include actions such as assassinations, surveillance, and sabotage. The bill would make it illegal to express support for designated proxies or to accept financial support from them. Violators could face jail sentences of up to 14 years, signaling a tougher stance against state-sponsored hostile activities within the UK.

This legislative push comes amid rising concerns about state threat activity. Last year, the director-general of Britain's MI5 security service reported a 35% increase in such activity compared to the previous year. The service had tracked more than 20 potentially lethal plots linked to Iran. In recent months, police have investigated several arson attacks on Jewish sites for possible Iranian links, further fueling these concerns.

“

As well as brutally repressing freedoms within Iran, the IRGC poses a dangerous threat here in the UK, which our existing terrorism proscription regime was ill-equipped to deal with as it is a state actor.

Despite intelligence highlighting numerous Iran-backed plots on UK soil, it remains unclear whether the IRGC will be immediately proscribed under the new legislation. The government anticipates designating only 10 or fewer organizations in the first year after the bill becomes law. Labour MP Luke Akehurst, a proponent of proscribing the IRGC, stated that the organization poses a dangerous threat in the UK, and existing terrorism proscription regimes were ill-equipped to handle state actors.

Recent events underscore the complexity of these threats. Last week, an Iraqi national denied involvement in attacks against American and Israeli interests in Europe, including in Britain, during a US court appearance. He is accused of directing individuals to carry out attacks in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), an Iran-backed militia considered a terrorist organization by the US and directed by the IRGC.

“

I had been campaigning for the government to address this for many years, so I commend ministers for introducing crucial new powers to allow us to clamp down on the danger posed by state entities and their activities.