Ahead of the dissolution of Parliament, a coalition of 550 MPs and peers is pressing for a significant shift in the UK’s foreign policy towards Iran. They are urging the next government to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. This bipartisan effort has been spearheaded by the British Committee for Iran Freedom, despite persistent resistance from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The United States has already taken this step, and there are indications that Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, might endorse this policy if Labour assumes power after July 4.
A source close to Lammy stated, “Our longstanding position supports proscribing the IRGC, either through the existing process or by creating a new one for hostile state actors.” The push for proscription has intensified due to the IRGC’s connections to Hamas and its alleged role in the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which escalated the conflict in Gaza. Additionally, the recent death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash has been viewed as a strategic moment to enact significant policy changes.
The IRGC, under the command of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, has been implicated in various attacks in the UK and Europe, including an attempted assassination of a former Spanish MEP. Proscribing the IRGC would restrict their access to international funds and hinder the Iranian government’s operations abroad.
This initiative is led by Tory MP Bob Blackman, a staunch supporter of the National Council for Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He has collaborated with the NCRI and the British Committee for Iran Freedom to garner support and compile statements. Notable supporters include Tory MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Tobias Ellwood, and Vicky Ford, as well as Labour’s former shadow chancellor John McDonnell. Among the peers backing the move are Labour’s Lord Boateng, former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, and Labour’s Lord Kinnock.
The parliamentarians have also called on the government to recognize and support the NCRI. Blackman emphasized the failure of the current appeasement policy over the past 40 years, which he argues has only emboldened the Iranian regime. He advocates for a new approach that aligns with the Iranian people and their organized resistance, holding the regime accountable and designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity. This, he asserts, would send a strong message to the Iranian leadership and show support for the Iranian populace, impacting the regime’s ability to evade sanctions and fund its repressive forces and proxy groups.