MPs call for UK government to proscribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist group

Both the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) and the Community Security Trust (CST) submitted written evidence ahead of the publication of the report on Wednesday.

Claudia Mendoza, Joint Chief Executive of the JLC, said she “welcomed”  the recommendations made by the all-party committee in its report ‘Iran and the UK: No prosperity without justice’.

Evidence submitted by the communal organisations included Iran’s record of targeting Jewish communities around the world such as the murder of 85 people at the AMIA building in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The report notes that the  IRGC’s Quds Force – led by Qassem Soleimani until his death in January 2020 – is an exporter of “arms and strategic military assistance” to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah.

It stresses that even the name Quds Force is an indication of the explicit anti-Israeli motive of the organisation.

The report called for Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab ro access information showing the IRGC's support for terrorist activity across the region.

The Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Committee said: “Proscribing the IRGC in its entirety is a natural next step in response to its bankrolling and bolstering of terrorism. 

“The group’s destructive philosophy and violence within Iran and across the region make a compelling case for it to be singled out for sanction.”

The US authorities designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organisation in April 2019 while sanctions have been lodged against members of the IRGC by the European Union.

The report also finds that the FCDO's  current approach to consular disputes is not working, and that  the UK must acknowledge that the practice of the Iranian state arbitrarily detaining nationals amounts to ‘State Hostage Taking’.

It recommends that the FCDO improve the support offered to individuals taken hostage, well as to their families, and provide clarity as to which resources are available.

Mr Tugendhat said: “The UK Government must call the arbitrary detention of foreign nationals what it is: hostage taking. The charges, trials and convictions of British citizens on Iranian soil are a parody of a justice system. Using young mothers and retirees as bargaining chips and leverage is an unacceptable form of diplomacy.”

The report also emphasised the need for the UK government to work towards the replacement of the Iranian nuclear deal - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Committee described the deal as a “shell of an agreement” and called for the UK to play a leading role in spearheading it’s replacement.”

Mr Tugendhat said that despite good intentions the JCPOA was built on “weak foundations.”

It suggested “allies in the region” including the UK should work with new US President Joe Biden in developing as a long-term goal an improved deal addressing the concerns overlooked by the JCPOA on ballistic missiles, sunset clauses, inspection and compliance.

“The voices of allies in the region and in Europe, and with the new US administration, need to come together to ensure a diplomatic option is available to those in Iran who are looking for a solution to decades of isolation,” said Mr Tugendhat.

Claudia Mendoza, Joint Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council said: “We welcome the Foreign Affairs Select Committee’s report and its recommendations. Iran continues to be a major threat to Jewish communities around the world via its proxies such as Hezbollah and we therefore support the committee’s call for government to proscribe the IRGC.

“We agree with the committee’s recommendation that the Government play a leading role in a new and strengthened deal to replace the JCPOA. This is vital to the security of the region including Israel.”

The Conservative Friends of Israel group said the report supported a "long-overdue need for a strategic rethink in our approach to Iran."