LONDON — The UK government proscribed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR) as terrorist organizations and designated the Russian Federation Volunteer Corps (GRU) as a national security threat on July 13, 2026. The actions were enabled by new powers granted under the fast-tracked National (State Threats) Bill, which allows the government to target state-backed groups previously outside the scope of existing terrorism legislation.

Ministers accelerated passage of the National (State Threats) Bill to close a legal gap that had prevented the proscription of state-affiliated entities. Prior to the new law, existing counterterrorism statutes did not extend to organizations acting on behalf of foreign governments. Under the updated framework, it is now a criminal offense to invite support for, express supportive opinions or beliefs about, assist, or accept material benefits from the IRGC, punishable by up to 14 years in prison and/or a fine. Once Parliament finalizes the legislation, committing sabotage on behalf of any proscribed group could carry a sentence of life imprisonment.

The Home Office stated that the home secretary concluded there is sufficient basis to reasonably believe the IRGC, IMCR, and GRU Volunteer Corps are engaged in foreign power threat activity. The government cited specific threats on UK soil, including a plot to assassinate two journalists from Iran International television and cyber-attacks on British targets, as justification for proscribing the IRGC. Security Minister Angela Eagle said the IMCR has claimed seven attacks in the U.K. and stated that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force—its expeditionary unit—almost certainly directed IMCR attacks across Europe.

The IMCR, also known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, claimed responsibility online for arson attacks on Jewish sites in London, including synagogues, Jewish charity ambulances, and a Persian-language media organization. No one was injured in those blazes. The group has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands. The UK government stated that a proxy group backed by Iran carried out recent arson and vandalism attacks on Jewish sites in Britain. Separately, two Romanian men received prison sentences earlier this month for stabbing a journalist from a Persian-language television station, and a judge ruled the attack was conducted on behalf of the Iranian state.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the new powers will make it easier to prosecute and imprison anyone carrying out hostile work for Iranian or Russian networks in Britain. The European Union had already listed the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in January 2026. The IRGC, established in 1979, is a multi-service primary force of the Iranian Armed Forces tasked with protecting the political system of the Islamic Republic.

Why It Matters

The UK’s proscription of the IRGC aligns its stance with the European Union and reflects growing concerns about state-sponsored threats on British soil, including violence against diaspora journalists and attacks on religious institutions. The new legal framework marks a significant shift in counterterrorism policy by explicitly targeting foreign state actors and their proxies, enabling stronger criminal penalties and broader enforcement authority.