On November 23, 2024, over 40 members of the UK Parliament and public figures sent a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging the inclusion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the list of terrorist organizations. The signatories cited the ineffectiveness of current sanctions, stating they are "full of legal loopholes" and insufficient to counter the threats posed by the IRGC.
The letter, organized by the Jackson artistic community, highlighted that the IRGC not only supports proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah but is also involved in cyberattacks, assassination plots, and covert operations against opponents and civilians in Europe and North America.
Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of the UK intelligence agency MI6, along with several MPs and Starmer's party members, signed the letter. Labour MP Luke Akhurst stated, "The IRGC is a serious threat to the interests of the UK and our allies in the Middle East. Action must be taken now that the Labour Party is in government."
Lord Turnberg, another signatory, emphasized the need for the government to act swiftly against the IRGC, which he accused of domestic repression, supporting terrorism in the Middle East and Europe, and engaging in cyber threats. He stated, "The UK government must courageously ban this group."
This is not the first instance of UK Parliament members calling for the IRGC to be classified as a terrorist organization. During the previous administration of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a group of MPs praised the government's decision to designate Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations and urged that the IRGC also be added to this list, citing it as the primary financial supporter, supplier, and trainer of these groups.
The Labour Party's election manifesto explicitly mentioned the necessity of countering the threats posed by the IRGC. Meanwhile, the UK government has sanctioned over 450 individuals and entities linked to Iran, including the IRGC, but has refrained from a complete ban of the group as a terrorist organization.