Britain on Monday banned Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps under new national security powers and also targeted an Iranian-backed proxy accused of carrying out arson and vandalism attacks against Jewish sites in the country, The Associated Press reported.
The British government said it was designating the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, also known as IMCR or Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, after the group claimed responsibility for seven attacks in the UK.
IRGC soldiers
(Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP)
Security Minister Angela Eagle said British authorities believed the group had operated under the direction of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“Sitting behind IMCR were members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, who almost certainly directed IMCR attacks across Europe,” Eagle said in a statement.
The Quds Force is the IRGC’s overseas operations arm and is responsible for supporting Iranian proxies and conducting activities outside Iran.
The government separately cited IRGC-linked threats to life and intimidation on British soil as grounds for designating the organization.
Under the new measures, it is a criminal offense to invite support for the designated groups, express an opinion or belief intended to encourage support for them, assist their UK-related activities or accept material benefits provided by them or on their behalf.
Those convicted of violating the law could face up to 14 years in prison, a fine or both.
Britain introduced the designation mechanism under its National Security legislation, creating powers similar to terrorist proscription but aimed specifically at organizations connected to hostile foreign states.
The government also designated a volunteer corps linked to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency under the same framework.
The move followed a series of warnings from British officials about Iranian activity in the country. The government said the new powers were intended to disrupt individuals and organizations promoting the objectives of designated foreign bodies.
Following the Oct. 7 massacre, antisemitic incidents in Britain intensified significantly, and the Jewish community’s sense of security was severely shaken. In early 2026, a series of arson attacks and incidents of property damage occurred in London neighborhoods with large Jewish populations. In one such incident, three masked assailants set fire to several ambulances belonging to the Jewish Hatzola organization in the Golders Green neighborhood.
In October 2025, a combined attack took place near a synagogue in Manchester, involving a car-ramming and stabbings. Two people were murdered in the attack. At the same time, terrorism suspects were arrested across the United Kingdom after conducting surveillance on various Jewish institutions. According to assessments, some of those operatives are linked to Iran.