More than 200 MPs and peers have called on the government to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps after three men were charged with carrying out a plot on behalf of Tehran.
Signatories included Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, and Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, along with Tim Farron, the former Liberal Democrat leader, Lord Goldsmith, the former Labour attorney general, Lord Triesman, the former Labour minister and chairman of the Football Association.
Urging Keir Starmer to back moves to proscribe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Lord Kinnock warned “the human rights crisis in Iran continues to worsen”.
The UK has resisted calls to ban the IRGC over fears it could sever the country’s diplomatic links with Tehran, and make the situation regarding security worse.
The Labour government has so far taken the same stance of the previous Tory one by resisting calls from many politicians and organisations – including Labour and Conservative Friends of Israel groups – to proscribe the IRGC.
But Tory MP Bob Blackman, chairman of the influential backbench 1922 Committee, said: “It’s time to change course on our Iran policy.”
Blackman, who coordinated the letter, added: “Our ally, the US, rightly designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity several years ago. While the regime has never been weaker, we must set aside all wrong-headed political and diplomatic calculations and proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist entity — an action long overdue.”
The letter was sent to the PM as Iranians Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori were charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist the Iranian foreign intelligence service between last August and February.
Sepahvand was also charged with engaging in surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research, intending to commit serious violence against a person in the UK.
Manesh and Noori have also been charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance, with the intention that serious violence against a person in the UK would be committed by others.
Following the charges brought against the three Iranian men, Yvette Cooper promised to strengthen national security powers.
The Home Secretary said: “I want to thank the police and security services for their continuing work on this very serious investigation, and for their immense dedication to protecting our national security and the safety of our communities.
