Britain is ready to officially declare Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist group. Telegraph Citing sources, it was reported on 2 January.
The IRGC has arrested seven people with ties to Britain over anti-regime protests since the riots began in mid-September.
When then-President Donald Trump designated the IRGC a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in April 2019, the move was seen as unprecedented. Iran responded by declaring the US Central Command (Centcom) a terrorist organization. The White House is part of negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), amid speculation that the designation could be lifted after Joe Biden took over as president to replace Trump. However, it did not reach the stage where such proposals were taken seriously.
UK movement. Telegraph The report is expected to be released in the coming weeks and is said to be backed by British Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat and Home Secretary Suera Braverman.
Banning the Guard as a terrorist group would make it a criminal offense to be a member of the group, to attend its meetings, and to use its logo in public.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week urged Iran to stop detaining dual nationals after the IRGC’s arrest of seven people with ties to the UK. The practice should not be used to gain “diplomatic clout,” he said.
Iran’s Basij paramilitary group, which has been involved in cracking down on the arrests that swept Iran, is affiliated with the IRGC.
The IRGC also runs a number of commercial enterprises in Iran, especially in the construction and engineering sectors, which make up a large part of the Iranian economy.
