On July 15 (Tehran time), according to Xinhua, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the British Ambassador to Tehran Hugo Shorter to protest the British Government's decision to include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the list of organizations considered to be a threat to national security.
Mr. Alireza Yousefi, Director of the Western Europe Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, directly summoned the British Ambassador and forwarded a diplomatic note to London strongly protesting what Tehran called "hostile" actions.
In a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mr. Yousefi criticized the recent statements of British Security Secretary Angela Eagle in the British Parliament, saying the accusations against the IRGC were "baseless", "irresponsible" and "against the international commitments of the British Government as well as the basic principles of relations between nations".
Earlier, in a written statement to Parliament, the British Security Secretary said that the British Government had noted activities allegedly related to the IRGC, including acts of threatening people's lives and intimidating people in British territory.
In response, Iran warned that it would have a "decisive and commensurate response" if Britain adopted legal measures or took action against Iran and its organizations.
On July 14, the British government announced that it is promoting procedures to include the IRGC and two other organizations in the list of entities considered to be a threat to national security under the 2026 National Security Act.
If approved by the British Parliament, these will be the first organizations to be designated under the new law. At that time, all acts of supporting, cooperating or intentionally receiving material benefits from activities related to these organizations in the UK may be criminally prosecuted, with some crimes having a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Xinhua also said that the IRGC is currently subject to comprehensive UK sanctions. However, the new regulation is expected to create more legal basis for London to handle activities believed to be related to this force on British territory.
