The Guardian: The Labour Party is not rushing to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization

The British newspaper "The Guardian" reports that the Labour Party will not rush to classify the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization while seeking to gain power in the country. On Monday, July 9, The Guardian wrote that advisors from the British Foreign Office have raised considerations regarding such a move and warned of the "unpredictable" and "very destructive" consequences this action could have on relations between London and Tehran. After 14 years in opposition, the Labour Party gained power in the elections on July 6, and its leader, Keir Starmer, was tasked by King Charles to form a new government on July 7, introducing his government on July 8. Conservative governments in recent years during the premierships of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak have resisted increasing calls in the country to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. David Cameron stated that "designating the IRGC as terrorist" is not in Britain's interests. A day before the parliamentary elections, the Labour Party described the IRGC as a "hostile organization" in its election manifesto. Some party activists had stated before the elections that the IRGC should be designated as a terrorist organization. Some Labour Party members referred to statements from the British anti-terrorism police and the efforts of "hired agents" from Iran to attack Iranian dissidents and several Iranian journalists active in the UK. Some British newspapers had written in the weeks leading up to the elections that the Labour Party would designate the IRGC as a terrorist entity if victorious. However, David Lammy, the new Foreign Secretary from the Labour Party, told The Guardian that he needs to "carefully" examine this issue and see how the previous system has made decisions regarding specific terrorist states and organizations. According to The Guardian, advisors to David Lammy stated that the new Foreign Secretary is reviewing an amendment to the current law that has so far allowed the government to impose certain restrictions against the activities of state-related organizations, such as the IRGC. The report indicates that the process of preparing an amendment to the current law will be "time-consuming." The Guardian wrote that following the announcement of Masoud Pezeshkian's victory as the new president, David Lammy is expected to consult with his advisors about the foreign policy of the new Iranian government. Mr. Lammy stated that he is monitoring President Pezeshkian's plans and that it is still too early to draw conclusions. In recent months, the Islamic Republic of Iran has warned European countries against designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The Canadian government recently designated the IRGC as "terrorist." However, Ottawa has been in a complete break of relations with Iran for 13 years and, unlike Britain, does not have an ambassador or embassy in Tehran. Physical attack plots against the presenters of Iran International and several other political opponents of the Iranian government in the UK were discovered and announced by the British anti-terrorism police during the Conservative Party's premiership. The German center-right union has called for the "terrorist designation of the IRGC." Following those events, David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary in Rishi Sunak's government, emphasized in mid-spring this year that designating the IRGC as terrorist could lead to a break in political relations between Britain and Iran. Mr. Cameron stated on May 1 in a meeting of a parliamentary committee that his country has fully sanctioned the IRGC and that these sanctions could be strengthened, but designating the IRGC as terrorist would eliminate even the "limited relations" between the two countries. Besides Britain, European Union countries have also rejected efforts in their countries and Israel's request to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization over the past two years. The center-right union in the German parliament last Wednesday called on Berlin to place the IRGC on the terrorist list of Germany and the European Union. Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, this week called for the IRGC to be designated as terrorist by Western countries in response to the announcement of Masoud Pezeshkian's victory in the Iranian elections, stating that this is the "only way to understand change in Iran." Mr. Katz has traveled to Washington with a request to designate the IRGC as terrorist and increase Western sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran ahead of the NATO summit, which will be hosted by Joe Biden on July 10.