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Britain is moving to give authorities sweeping new powers to target foreign state-linked groups as officials warn of growing threats tied to Iran and other hostile governments.
The National Security (State Threats) Bill introduced Tuesday would give the UK government new powers to crack down on foreign state-linked organizations involved in activities such as assassination plots, surveillance and sabotage. The legislation could potentially be used against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG), though officials have not indicated whether the group would be among the first organizations designated.
The proposal comes as British intelligence officials warn of increasing Iran-backed activity inside the UK. Last year, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said the security service had tracked more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots and recorded a 35% increase in state-threat investigations.
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Under the legislation, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood would have the authority to designate groups responsible for what the government calls “foreign power threat activity.” Supporting designated organizations or accepting money from them could carry prison sentences of up to 14 years.
British authorities have also investigated possible Iranian links to several recent incidents, including arson attacks targeting Jewish sites. The UK has separately secured convictions against individuals accused of spying for or acting on behalf of Russian and Chinese entities.
The bill would create a new framework for tackling threats posed by foreign governments and their proxies, an area critics say Britain’s existing counterterrorism laws were not designed to address.
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Labour MP Luke Akehurst, one of Parliament’s leading advocates for action against the IRGC, said the organization presents a unique challenge because it operates as part of the Iranian state.
“As well as brutally repressing freedoms within Iran, the IRGC poses a dangerous threat here in the UK, which our existing terrorism proscription regime was ill-equipped to deal with as it is a state actor,” Akehurst told The Jerusalem Post.
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Supporters of the legislation argue it would close gaps in Britain’s ability to target hostile state-backed actors without relying solely on terrorism laws.
If approved, the legislation could take effect as soon as next month, with officials expected to make a limited number of designations during the law’s first year.
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