Rishi Sunak faces renewed pressure to ban Iran’s revolutionary guard
Dr Liam Fox, former defence secretary, warned that while Hamas had its “fingers on the trigger” of the violence in Israel and Palestine, the “strings being pulled” are from Tehran.
Rishi Sunak has faced renewed pressure to add Iran’s revolutionary guard to the list of banned terrorist organisations, as conflict in the Middle East continues.
Dr Liam Fox, Conservative former defence secretary, warned that while Hamas had its “fingers on the trigger” of the violence in Israel and Palestine, the “strings being pulled” are from Tehran.
He was joined by a host of influential Tories in calling for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a special Iranian military force, to be proscribed as a terrorist group.
Dr Fox told the Commons: “If the fingers on the trigger were Hamas, the strings being pulled were from Tehran.
“With £100 million of investment going from Iran to the terrorists of Hamas, isn’t it time that we in this country asked again why Iranian banks are operating from the City of London?
“Why Iran Air is operating from Heathrow Airport? And why again we have not proscribed the IRGC, as I believe we should have?”
Conservative chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, called on the Government to proscribe the IRGC and called for the creation of a special envoy for the Middle East peace process.
She said the attack on Israel “constituted crimes against humanity”, but stressed that how Israel defeats Hamas “will shape the region’s future”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey meanwhile branded the IRGC the “the funders of Hamas”.
Conservative MP Bob Blackman (Harrow East) told the Commons the operation “by the terrorist group Hamas was clearly well-planned, well-resourced, well-equipped and had been planned for many months”.
He added: “It is beyond belief that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps who fund and support Hamas were not behind this whole operation.
“So will he now take the action that the whole House has asked him to take and that’s to proscribe the IRGC in its entirety?”
The Prime Minister replied: “We have already taken strong action against the Iranian regime including sanctioning 350 different individuals and entities, including the IRGC in its entirety and furthermore, the National Security Act implements new measures to protect the British public, including new offences for espionage, foreign interference and tougher powers to arrest and detain people suspected of involvement in state threats.
“As the House knows, the Government has a long-standing policy of not commenting on whether specific organisations are being considered for proscription and our approach, as currently stated, is completely aligned with that of our allies.”
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, it is illegal to belong to an organisation that has been proscribed.
Hamas was added to the list of banned terrorist organisations in 2021 and its supporters or members can face up to 14 years in jail according to the Government.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
