The United Kingdom is cracking down on Iran's Revolutionary Guards

The British government announced on Monday legislation designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards, along with a movement accused of being behind attacks against the Jewish community in the UK, as organizations posing a threat to national security, in order to strengthen the fight against their activities.

The legislation, which Parliament is due to vote on this week, also targets the "volunteer corps" of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service.

"Anyone found guilty of supporting or aiding these groups now faces up to 14 years in prison," said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

This measure comes after a movement designated by the British government under the acronym IMCR and also known as "Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya" (Hayi) meaning "Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand of Islam", claimed responsibility for seven attacks in the United Kingdom against sites linked to the Jewish community or Israel as well as against the Persian-language media outlet Iran International, the Home Office said.

The ministry added that "behind the IMCR were members of the Al-Quds Force of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who most certainly orchestrated the IMCR attacks across Europe."

This legislation "will strengthen the government's ability to combat state threats linked to foreign powers, including espionage, foreign interference in our democracy, sabotage and physical attacks," the ministry further emphasized in its statement.

For prosecutions, the prosecutor's office will no longer need to establish a link with a foreign power in cases involving such designated groups, as is currently the case.

According to the Secretary of State for Security, Angela Eagle, the United Kingdom has identified activities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, Iran's ideological army) "involving death threats and acts of intimidation on British soil".

On June 11, 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and several European nations, accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its elite Quds Force, which operates abroad, of targeting Iranian dissidents, journalists, and Jewish communities.

AFP