The United Kingdom government has announced plans to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and several other foreign-linked organisations under new national security legislation aimed at tackling state-backed threats on British soil. The proposed law, which is expected to be introduced in Parliament this week, would grant the government expanded powers to act against foreign state proxies accused of activities such as espionage, sabotage, foreign interference and physical attacks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that individuals found supporting or assisting organisations designated under the new framework could face prison terms of up to 14 years. Alongside the IRGC, the proposed legislation would also target proxies and volunteers linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, as well as the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR), an Iran-linked group that has claimed responsibility for attacks on Jewish properties in London.

According to the UK Home Office, the legislation introduces "proscription-like" powers that will enable authorities to designate foreign state proxies considered a threat to national security. The government said the new framework is intended to strengthen Britain's ability to counter hostile activities linked to foreign powers, including espionage, intimidation, sabotage and attempts to interfere in the country's democratic processes.

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Home Office minister Angela Eagle said the United Kingdom had identified activity linked to the IRGC involving threats to life and intimidation on British soil. Under the proposed legal framework, prosecutors would no longer be required to prove a direct foreign power connection in cases involving organisations designated under the legislation, potentially making it easier to pursue criminal action against those providing support to such groups.

The announcement follows a series of antisemitic attacks reported in London earlier this year, including arson attacks targeting synagogues, community ambulances and other Jewish sites. The Home Office said the government had accelerated the legislation in response to those incidents. Last month, the United Kingdom joined 21 other countries, including the United States and several European nations, in accusing the IRGC and its overseas Quds Force of plotting against Iranian dissidents, journalists and Jewish communities.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Iran and Russia were using proxy organisations to carry out hostile activities within the United Kingdom and stressed that the new measures would help authorities identify, investigate and prosecute those involved. The legislation will now be considered by Parliament, where lawmakers will debate the proposed powers before any final approval. If enacted, the law would significantly expand the UK's legal tools for responding to foreign state-linked security threats.

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