Sunday Times: Britain Considers IRGC the 'Greatest Threat' to Its Security

The Sunday Times reported that Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, believes that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the greatest threat to Britain's national security. Braverman is concerned that the IRGC has increased its activities. The Sunday Times noted that she is worried about reports of Iranian spies attempting to recruit members of criminal gangs to attack opponents of the Islamic Republic. A source close to the Home Secretary stated, 'The threat from Iran worries us more than any other [threat].' They added, 'This is a significant issue because the Islamic Republic has become much more aggressive and its appetite for violence is increasing.' The UK intelligence service, MI5, reported last year that the Islamic Republic was behind 10 assassination and kidnapping plots. The London police also reported in February of this year that this number had increased to 15. Activities of the Islamic Republic in Britain The Sunday Times revealed details of the close relationship between the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Society of Students in Britain. This society has held meetings in recent years with the presence of hardline clerics and senior IRGC officials, with representatives of Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran, overseeing its internal elections. According to the Sunday Times, Mohammad Hossein Attaie, the former president of this society and a master's student at the University of Bradford, traveled to Tehran in January of this year, met with Khamenei, and received a scarf from him. The Telegram channel of this organization, under the supervision of the Islamic Republic, has also posted praises for Qasem Soleimani and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, referring to them as 'martyrs.' The society has also held meetings aimed at questioning the Holocaust and spreading conspiracy theories about 'global Zionism.' Recently, the Jewish Chronicle reported that eight IRGC leaders have been identified who have spoken to students at the 'Tawhid Center,' which is home to the 'Islamic Sciences Students Association' in Britain, since early 2020. Importance of Declaring the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization Jason Brodsky, the policy director at the United Against a Nuclear Iran organization, stated on Friday to the Persian section of Voice of America that adding the IRGC to the list of terrorist organizations in Britain and the European Union would prohibit membership in this organization. He referred to 'worrying reports' of the radicalization of supporters of the Islamic Republic in Britain by IRGC commanders, stating that declaring the IRGC as a terrorist organization within the existing European sanctions framework could significantly impact the prevention of the spread of anti-Semitic views and conspiracy theories by the Islamic Republic. Brodsky also commented on the exploitation of Islamic Republic propagandists in the West, saying, 'Western countries must take action to suppress the infiltration operations of the Islamic Republic.' He noted that the Islamic Republic has 'a long history of exploiting charitable and religious institutions for recruitment, radicalization, and creating networks in support of terrorism outside [of Iran].' This expert further pointed out the activities of Al-Mustafa International University as an example in this regard, stating that 'the size of this university as a recruitment and espionage center for the Quds Force has doubled' and is therefore under U.S. anti-terrorism sanctions. Despite numerous calls to declare the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the UK Foreign Office has so far refrained from accepting it due to concerns about the permanent damage such an action could cause to bilateral diplomatic relations between London and Tehran.