Get tough on Iran, 550 MPs and peers tell Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has been told by more than 550 MPs and peers to proscribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) amid national security concerns.
The cross-party group wrote to the Prime Minister to call again for the IRGC to be deemed a terror group.
The letter came after three Iranian former asylum seekers appeared in court on Saturday accused of spying for Tehran.
The IRGC coordinates a network of regional allies and proxies which includes Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah.
Labour is now facing fresh pressure to proscribe the group after David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, promised to do so during the party's time in opposition.
Signatories to the letter include Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and Lord Kinnock and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Labour and Tory leaders.
The letter reads: 'Appeasing this faltering regime betrays democratic values, emboldens its repressive policies, and undermines global security as Tehran continues its nuclear ambitions and terrorism.
'Given the regime's complete blockade of all avenues for political activity, the international community must recognise the Iranian people's right to regime change.
'The right of MEK [Mojahedin-e-Khalq] resistance units, who play a key role in this popular push for change, to fight the IRGC must also be acknowledged, and the IRGC should be designated as a terrorist organisation.'
It also notes that the human rights crisis in Iran is worsening. Volker Türk, the UN's human rights chief, said 901 people were reportedly executed in Iran in 2025.
As well as making frequent use of the death penalty, the Iranian regime continues to enforce the mandatory wearing of the hijab and has suppressed attempts to protest against this.
The attempt to convince Sir Keir to outlaw the IRGC was sponsored by Bob Blackman, the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs.
Mr Blackman said: 'It is time to change course on Iran policy. We should align our policy with the major shifts that have occurred in Iran and the region.
'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.'
David Jones, a former Tory Cabinet minister, added that there was a 'growing consensus' across the political divide on the need to act.
'No more procrastination – it only aggravates the problem,' Mr Jones said.
'We must act decisively and stand with the Iranian people and the organised resistance, most notably Maryam Rajavi's 10-point plan. '
The signatories also include Lord Triesman, a former chairman of the Football Association who served as a Labour minister, and Lord Goldsmith, a former Labour attorney general.
It is understood that Foreign Office officials have previously opposed proscription as it would prevent the UK from maintaining its back channel to Iran, which is also used by the US.
Earlier this month, a suspected Iranian terror attack on British soil was foiled with just hours to spare.
Five men, including four Iranian nationals, were arrested at locations across England on May 4, in one of the biggest counter-terror operations of recent years.
On Saturday, Scotland Yard said all of the men had been released, with one remaining on bail, but the investigation remained active.
Ken McCallum, the director-general of MI5, said last year that police and his organisation had responded to no fewer than 20 Iran-backed terror plots since January 2022.
Pouria Zeraati, a journalist for UK-based Iran International, was stabbed outside his London home in March 2024. Two Romanian nationals have since been charged.
Negotiations are ongoing between the US and Iran over a nuclear deal, after Donald Trump said he wanted the 'total dismantlement' of Tehran's nuclear programme.
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