Britain bans IRGC after blaming Iran-linked group of targeting London synagogues
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The United Kingdom on Monday blamed an Iran-linked proxy group for a series of antisemitic arson attacks targeting British Jewish sites, prompting the government to ban Tehran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and impose sweeping new powers to thwart foreign-backed sabotage.
The Islamic Movement of the Right Companions (IMCR) has publicly claimed responsibility for seven attacks targeting Jewish and Israeli-affiliated sites this year, as well as a Persian-language media outlet critical of the Iranian government, British officials said. Members of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force were “almost certainly” directing the group’s operations across Europe, according to the UK government.
The attacks included fires at synagogues, ambulances of Jewish charities and other Jewish community centers in London. No injuries were reported.
DESANTIS ANNOUNCES PLANS TO USE NEW STATE LAW TO TARGET DOZENS OF TERRORIST GROUPS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as he hosts a reception with the Jewish community to discuss efforts to combat antisemitism at Downing Street in London, Britain, July 13, 2026. (REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/Pool)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the new measures sent a clear message to foreign enemies trying to sow violence.
“We will never allow Britain to become a playground for states seeking to sow fear, division and violence on our streets,” Starmer said. “Anyone acting on behalf of those who threaten our national security should be in no doubt that there is no place for you in Britain.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (center) hosts a reception with the Jewish community to discuss efforts to combat antisemitism at Downing Street on Monday, July 13, 2026 in London, England. (Pool Photo via Suzanne Plunkett/AP)
If Parliament approves these appointments later this week, anyone who carries out acts of sabotage, including arson, on behalf of the IRGC, IMCR or Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps could face life imprisonment. Supporting or aiding groups can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
The British government has said new authorities created under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 will make it easier for prosecutors to secure convictions as they will no longer have to prove direct foreign government connections in every case.
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood accused both Tehran and Moscow of relying on criminal proxies to carry out hostile operations within the UK.
“Iran and Russia use proxies and thugs to do their dirty work off our coasts,” Mahmood said. “I quickly identified three groups so that those working for them would be found and put behind bars.”
WHILE IRAN IS LOOKING FOR A NEW ROAD TO TERROR, ISRAEL IS STRENGTHENING ITS JORDAN BORDER
IMCR emerged online earlier this year and also claimed responsibility for attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands, the government said. British intelligence officials say Iranian-backed proxy groups are increasingly recruiting members of criminal organizations to carry out sabotage, intimidation and physical attacks across Europe, often targeting Jewish communities and Iranian dissidents.
The charred remains of an ambulance belonging to the Jewish community organization Hatzola, which was set on fire in what police said was an anti-Semitic hate crime, in northwestern London, Britain, March 23, 2026. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)
According to the United Kingdom, MI5 detected at least 20 potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots against individuals in Britain last year. The government has already sanctioned more than 550 individuals and organizations with links to Iran and has pledged £250 million ($334,662,500) over three years to strengthen the security of Jewish communities, including increased protection of synagogues, schools and community centres.
Britain also identified Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps and said the group acted as a proxy for Russian military intelligence by recruiting individuals online to carry out sabotage, arson and other hostile operations.
The crackdown came just weeks after two Romanian men were sentenced to prison for stabbing a journalist working for a Persian-language television channel in London; A British judge said that this attack was carried out on behalf of the Iranian state.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Iran did not immediately comment on Monday’s announcement, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
