Britain has enacted legislation creating powers that could allow the government to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps under a new legal framework targeting organizations linked to hostile foreign state activity as of July 2026.
The National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 gives the Home Secretary authority to designate organizations reasonably believed to be involved in foreign power threat activity if doing so is considered necessary to protect the UK's safety or interests.
The legislation follows a 2025 review by Jonathan Hall KC, the UK's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism and State Threat Legislation, which recommended introducing proscription-style powers for state-linked organizations. Hall said the new framework would, for example, allow the government to designate the IRGC.
"Keeping our country and communities safe is the first duty of any government," Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. "Under these new powers, we're going further to dismantle and deter hostile activity."
The law makes it a criminal offence to support, assist or receive a material benefit from a designated organization, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
It is intended to target groups acting on behalf of foreign states, including those accused of targeting dissidents, carrying out cyber attacks or threatening critical infrastructure.
The IRGC is already designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and Canada and several other countries. The new legislation does not automatically designate any organization, but provides the legal mechanism for ministers to do so if they consider the statutory tests have been met.
The Home Office said designations will be made without delay when judged necessary, while exemptions remain for legitimate diplomatic, humanitarian and journalistic engagement.
Iran's foreign ministry said it handed the ambassador a protest note rejecting what it called "groundless and false" British statements that Tehran had sought to carry out security-related activities in the United Kingdom.
Britain summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires on Tuesday after George Stana and Nandito Badea were sentenced to 12 years and eight years in prison, respectively, for their role in the 2024 attack on Pouria Zeraati, an Iranian-British journalist who works for Iran International.
Zeraati was stabbed three times in the leg near his home in southwest London in March 2024.
British prosecutors said the two Romanian nationals were acting as proxies for the Iranian government. They had pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent but were convicted at London's Woolwich Crown Court.
Judge links attack to Iranian state
The British Foreign Office said the judge had concluded that the attack was carried out "in the interests of, and on behalf of, the Iranian state."
According to a police statement, the judge ruled that the "foreign power condition" under Britain's National Security Act was met in Stana's case because of "extensive planning and his lengthy involvement in the plot", indicating that he knew, or at least should have known, of the connection to the Iranian state.
The police statement said the condition was not met in Badea's case because he was not aware of the Iran connection as the reason for the attack.
Tehran rejects British move
Iran's foreign ministry rejected Britain's statements as "groundless and false" and said they amounted to an attempt to divert attention from Britain's own conduct.
Britain's Foreign Office said the case followed "a longstanding pattern of hostile activity by the Iranian intelligence services on UK soil" and said Iran must stop such activity immediately. Iran's embassy in London has rejected what it called "unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations."
Iran's foreign ministry also called on Britain to stop hosting media outlets that Tehran said were "funded and directed by the Israeli regime." It said Britain should end such activity "as soon as possible."
