Britain officially designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization on Friday, joining the United States in imposing comprehensive sanctions on the terror regime.
The designation allows British authorities to freeze IRGC assets, ban the organization from operating in the UK, and prosecute anyone who supports it. Members of the Revolutionary Guards will be barred from entering Britain.
“The IRGC is a dangerous organization that has been responsible for terrorism, human rights abuses, and destabilizing activities across the Middle East,” British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement.
The move comes after years of pressure from lawmakers and human rights groups to take a harder line against Iran. The U.S. designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019.
The Revolutionary Guards, established after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, is a powerful military and economic force that answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Its Quds Force overseas operations unit has been linked to attacks and plots against Western targets.
Britain’s decision follows a series of incidents attributed to Iranian operatives on British soil, including surveillance of Iranian dissidents and alleged assassination plots. The designation also reflects growing Western concern over Iran’s support for militant groups across the region and its nuclear program.
The Iranian government has not yet responded to the British announcement.