UK proscribes Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terror threat

The United Kingdom has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, deeming it a threat to national security. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the decision, which will allow authorities to ban any form of support for the group. This includes expressing positive opinions or providing assistance, actions that will now carry a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.

The IRGC is described as a central component of Iran's state security apparatus, directly answerable to the country's Supreme Leader. Its operations extend beyond conventional military functions, encompassing intelligence gathering, the use of proxy forces, and influence projection to advance Iranian state objectives.

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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a central component of the Iranian state's security apparatus, answerable directly to Iran's Supreme Leader.

This proscription is enabled by the recently fast-tracked National Security (State Threats) Act. Draft regulations for the ban can now be presented to Parliament. In addition to the IRGC, two other groups, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and the volunteer corps of Russia's GRU, are also being proscribed.

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Its role extends far beyond that of a conventional military force. It encompasses intelligence activity, the use of proxy actors, and the projection of influence designed to advance Iranian state objectives.