Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure from within his own party to ban Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, following the Government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
The move comes after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton on Friday and vandalised two military aircraft. In response, the Home Office announced that Palestine Action will be banned under terrorism laws, a decision that has sparked backlash from the group, which plans to stage a mass protest outside Parliament at noon on Monday.
Labour backbenchers are now urging the Prime Minister to take a similarly tough stance on the IRGC, especially as hostilities between Iran and Israel escalate. The IRGC, originally formed to safeguard the ideals of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, has evolved into a powerful military and political entity, with strong ties to militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are already banned in the UK.
Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, welcomed the ban on Palestine Action but said attention must now shift to the IRGC. “It’s now urgent, given the conflict in Iran, that the Government moves to proscribe the IRGC, which is a terrorist organisation that represents a significant threat, including here in the UK,” he said.
Charlotte Nichols, MP for Warrington North, added: “As much as I have no time for Palestine Action, it’s quite clear who the bigger threat to our national security is. They should have done it a long time ago, but the second-best time is now.”
While Labour called for the IRGC’s proscription while in opposition, the party has not acted on those calls since coming into government nearly a year ago.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also joined calls to ban the IRGC, warning of the group’s influence in Britain. “The Iranian regime has clearly been funding propaganda hubs and promoting terror throughout the UK. It’s high time action was taken to safeguard our institutions and communities,” he told the media.
Palestine Action, founded in 2020, is known for its campaign of direct action and property damage targeting organisations it claims are linked to Zionism. Since the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, the group has ramped up its activities, including the recent break-in at RAF Brize Norton where activists sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft. The incident is now under investigation by counter-terror police.
Proscription of the group allows the Government to freeze its assets and seize funds — a measure supporters say could also be used effectively against the IRGC to disrupt terror networks and Islamist propaganda in the UK.
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East continue to rise. On Saturday, the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a second commander of the IRGC’s overseas arm in a precision strike near Tehran.
The Home Office has not yet responded to calls for the IRGC to be formally banned.
