Britain Designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a Terror Organization

The British government announced today (Monday) that it has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. The decision follows a series of attacks targeting sites associated with the Jewish community that British authorities say were linked to Iranian involvement.

The designation gives the organization terrorist status under United Kingdom law and significantly expands law enforcement powers against anyone who maintains ties with or expresses support for the group.

Under the new legislation, expressing support for the Revolutionary Guards or identifying with the organization's views anywhere in Britain will be prohibited. Providing assistance to the group or receiving benefits from it will also become illegal. Violations of the law could carry prison sentences of up to 14 years.

Decision Follows Years of Deliberation

The move comes after years of discussion over whether to ban the organization. As early as the beginning of 2023, reports indicated that the British government was considering outlawing the Revolutionary Guards following reports that a British citizen had been arrested in Iran during the nationwide protests sparked by the country's hijab demonstrations.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer commented on the decision, saying: "We know that some of the violence and intimidation on our streets originates from foreign states. The criminal group 'Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya' publicly claimed responsibility for seven attacks against sites in Britain linked to Jewish and Israeli communities. Behind those attacks were members of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards."

He continued: "The Revolutionary Guards themselves have a long history of using proxies and criminal networks to target people in Britain, including our Jewish communities. Therefore, under our new state threat powers, we are today designating this criminal group as a terrorist organization."

Growing International Consensus

With Britain's decision, the Revolutionary Guards join a growing list of organizations designated as terrorist groups by governments around the world.

The United States became the first country to make the designation in April 2019. Canada followed in 2024, and Australia did the same in 2025. In February 2026, the European Union also designated the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, extending the measure across all 27 member states.

Several other countries, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Paraguay, Ecuador, Ukraine, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have adopted similar designations. Other countries have imposed sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards and their senior officials without formally designating the organization itself as a terrorist group.