UK Uses New State-Threat Law to Designate Iran’s IRGC as National Security Threat

Overview

• The Home Office laid draft regulations on Monday naming the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR), and Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps under the National Security (State Threats) Act.
• The law creates proscription-style offences that make providing support, assistance or material benefit to designated bodies a crime and ministers have said penalties could reach up to 14 years in prison.
• The measures were accompanied by an immediate package of security steps including a £250 million protection fund, 300 extra police officers for parts of London, and additional counter-terror resources.
• Independent reviewers and legal experts have warned that applying terrorism-style powers to a state-linked body like the IRGC raises practical, legal and press/NGO engagement risks and could complicate diplomacy with Tehran.
• The designation will not take effect until Parliament approves the draft regulations, and prosecutors, policing decisions and any criminal cases under the new regime will depend on that parliamentary process.