Labour calls for ‘clarity’ from government on moves to proscribe Iran ‘terror group’

Labour has called for “clarity” over the government’s intention to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which is says has been acting “like a terrorist organisation.”

In an intervention during foreign office questions, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said:“The IRGC is responsible for 10 kidnap and death plots on UK soil, the execution of Alireza Akbari, the unjust imprisonment of British nationals, supporting violent militia across the Middle East, and a brutal crackdown on Iranian protesters.

“Labour has been clear and I wonder if we might get clarity from the foreign secretary.

“We would proscribe the IRGC either using exist in terrorism legislation or by creating a new process of prescription for hostile state actors”

“When is the foreign secretary going to act?”

Foreign secretary James Cleverly responded by saying: “We have already sanctioned over 300 individuals and entities.”

“Because of the crackdown on protestors, the …brave women standing up for their rights in Iran .. we have sanctioned members of the judiciary … those abusing the legal system, those supplying drones that Russia uses to attack Ukraine, we have sanctioned the prosecutor responsible for passing down the judgement on Mr Akbari.

We will continue to take actions which will curtail the ability of the IRGC to do these things.

“And as I have said, we do not limit ourselves to the responses that are already announced.

“We always keep all future options under review”.

There were reports last November of an Iranian hit squad targeting British-Iranian journalists in London.

The IRGC earlier this month arrested seven people with links to the UK in relation to anti-government protests that have been sweeping through Iran in recent months.

Proscribing an organisation is a formal legal process carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The IRGC was set up over 40 years ago to defend Iran’s Islamic revolution and is now one of the most powerful paramilitary organisations in the Middle East.

It has huge military, political and economic force, using its vast funds to support allied governments and militant groups across the region.

Reports at the beginning of the month suggested the government was ready to formally proscribe the IRGC in full.