Britain Considering Declaring IRGC a Terrorist Organization

A British House of Commons session in mid-Dec. (Reuters)
A British House of Commons session in mid-Dec. (Reuters)
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Britain Considering Declaring IRGC a Terrorist Organization

A British House of Commons session in mid-Dec. (Reuters)
A British House of Commons session in mid-Dec. (Reuters)

Britain is actively considering proscribing Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a terrorist organization but has not reached a final decision on the matter, foreign office minister Leo Docherty told parliament on Thursday.

“It would be wrong of me to speculate … about the outcome of the government’s current consideration of this issue, which is active,” Docherty said during a debate on the situation in Iran, during which some lawmakers had called for proscription.

“But I can say that I think the calls right across the house, and the unity with which these calls are being made on all sides will be noted by the government and this is something that we regard as extremely serious,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Proscribing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group would mean that it would become a criminal offence in Britain to belong to the group, attend its meetings, and carry its logo in public.

The IRGC is already subject to British sanctions.

The announcement to blacklist the group is expected to be made within weeks.

On Tuesday, France's foreign ministry said it had not ruled out the idea that the European Union designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a day after Germany said the move would be politically important and make sense.

Ties between European capitals and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled.

With the EU discussing a fourth round of sanctions over the crackdown of Iran on protesters and its supply of weapons to Russia, some member states have called for the bloc to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

When asked whether Paris supported designating the IRGC, foreign ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre told reporters in a daily briefing Tuesday that “given the continuation of this repression, France is working with its European partners on new sanctions’ measures, without excluding any.”

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday said that a new round of sanctions would not be enough.

“Listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization is politically important and makes sense,” she said on Twitter, adding that legal hurdles still needed to cleared before it could be done.



Israel Accuses Türkiye of 'Malice' over UN Arms Embargo Call

Israel UN ambassador Danny Danon on Monday accused Türkiye of “malice,” after Ankara submitted a letter calling for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel over the war in Gaza. (Reuters/File)
Israel UN ambassador Danny Danon on Monday accused Türkiye of “malice,” after Ankara submitted a letter calling for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel over the war in Gaza. (Reuters/File)
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Israel Accuses Türkiye of 'Malice' over UN Arms Embargo Call

Israel UN ambassador Danny Danon on Monday accused Türkiye of “malice,” after Ankara submitted a letter calling for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel over the war in Gaza. (Reuters/File)
Israel UN ambassador Danny Danon on Monday accused Türkiye of “malice,” after Ankara submitted a letter calling for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel over the war in Gaza. (Reuters/File)

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations on Monday accused Türkiye of "malice," after Ankara submitted a letter signed by 52 countries calling for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel over the war in Gaza.
"What else can be expected from a country whose actions are driven by malice in an attempt to create conflicts with the support of the 'Axis of Evil' countries," said Ambassador Danny Danon, using a pejorative term to describe the countries who signed the letter.
Türkiye’s foreign ministry said Sunday it had submitted the letter to the United Nations, with the signatories including the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Israel has faced international criticism for the conduct of its war in Gaza, where its offensive has killed at least 43,374 people, most of them civilians, according to health ministry figures which the United Nations considers to be reliable.
The war began when Palestinian armed group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
“This letter is further proof that the UN is led by some sinister countries and not by the liberal countries that support the values of justice and morality," said Danon.
Türkiye’s letter, seen by AFP Monday, called the "staggering" civilian death toll "unconscionable and intolerable."
"We therefore make this collective call for immediate steps to be taken to halt the provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel, the occupying Power, in all cases where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they may be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the letter said.
It added that the UN Security Council (UNSC) must take steps to ensure compliance with its resolutions "which are being flagrantly violated."
The UNSC called in March for a ceasefire in Gaza, but has struggled to speak with a unified voice on the issue due to the veto wielded by Israel's key ally, the United States.
Asked about the joint letter on Monday, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he had not seen it.