UK government proscribes Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be designated as a threat to national security.

Mahmood will use new government powers to ban support for the group, which has been linked to death threats and intimidation in the UK.

In a written statement to parliament, he announced that support for the Revolutionary Guard, from expressing a positive opinion to aiding them, would now be a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Two other groups are also banned: the Islamic Movement of the Right Companions (IMCR) and the volunteer units of Russia’s GRU (foreign military intelligence agency).

The Prime Minister promised in April this year that the National Security (State Threats) Bill would be expedited, and draft regulations on the bans could now be put before parliament.

In a written statement, Interior Minister Angela Eagle said the Interior Minister was satisfied that the legal test for the three bodies had been met, adding: “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a central component of the security apparatus of the Iranian state and is directly accountable to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

“Its role extends far beyond a conventional military force. It includes intelligence activities, the use of proxy actors, and the projection of influence designed to advance Iranian state objectives.”

This breaking news is being updated and more details will be released shortly. Please refresh the page for the full version.

You can get Breaking News from your smartphone or tablet. BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external To get the latest alerts.