Britain Mandates Registration of Iranian Regime Agents on Its Soil in Unprecedented Move

The British government has announced that anyone operating in the UK for the Islamic Republic of Iran or on its behalf must officially register their presence; otherwise, they could face up to five years in prison. John Jarvis, the UK Security Minister, announced on Tuesday, March 5, that the Islamic Republic, including the intelligence services of the Revolutionary Guard and the Ministry of Intelligence, has been categorized as 'advanced' in the foreign influence registration scheme. Thus, government agents or anyone acting on behalf of the Islamic Republic in the UK is conducting 'political influence activities' and must register officially, with failure to do so potentially leading to a five-year prison sentence. Iran is the first foreign country to be placed in the advanced category of this scheme, a two-tier mechanism designed to enhance the resilience of the British political system against covert foreign influence. The first phase, which also includes Russia and China, mainly covers political lobbying. However, placing Iran in the advanced category of the foreign influence registration scheme in Britain is unprecedented. Mr. Jarvis reported an 'increasingly aggressive Iranian activity' and described the registration scheme for Islamic Republic agents at the advanced level as 'a vital tool for the security of Britain.' He told the British Parliament that the registration scheme for Islamic Republic agents will be implemented by this summer and explained: 'The Iranian government targets opponents and targets journalists and media personnel who report on the regime's violent repression.' The Islamic Republic, which has a history of physically eliminating its opponents at various historical periods both inside and outside the country, has recently threatened numerous journalists and political activists abroad with physical elimination through social media or pressured their families inside the country. An example in Britain is Pouria Zareati, a journalist for Iran International, who was attacked by several 'unknown men' in London on April 10, and in this regard, three individuals connected to the Islamic Republic were arrested. Meanwhile, the UK Home Office has also warned on Facebook: 'Iran thinks it can carry out hostile actions on British soil without consequences. This is a mistake. In the first action under the foreign influence registration scheme, which will soon be implemented, those who operate for Iran in the UK must declare it; otherwise, they will face criminal prosecution.' The Islamic Republic has also arrested foreign or dual citizens several times in recent years and, in some cases, exchanged them for the release of prisoners related to abroad or for financial concessions, such as Nazanin Zaghari, a dual Iranian-British citizen, who was exchanged for $530 million with the British government. Recently, the Islamic Republic again arrested two British citizen tourists on 'security' charges.