Iranians in Britain fear the IRGC’s reach on UK soil

At the same time, we also carry hope. For months, many Iranians inside and outside the country hoped the international community would finally act. When the United States and Israel launched strikes on the Iranian regime’s military bases, it felt like a turning point.

I woke up to the news of the attacks in the morning. My phone started ringing immediately with calls from Iran, Europe, America and Israel. For the first time in a long time, people sounded hopeful.

Many Iranians saw the strikes not as intervention but as a rescue mission. They felt that someone was finally acting against the regime that has caused so much suffering.

Later that day, I went on GB News for an interview. Another guest

described the attacks as foreign intervention and even accused Israel of wrongdoing.

I found this very upsetting because the same person had remained silent when Iranian protesters were being killed. Sadly, we see this often in the West: people who claim to defend human rights but ignore the suffering of Iranians.

When it comes to Iran, some people suddenly fall silent because acknowledging that suffering does not support their ideology.

During my interview, I said something that many Iranians believe: Iran has already been subject to foreign intervention, but not from the West. The regime brought in militant proxy groups from other countries. It used foreign weapons and foreign intelligence to suppress protesters.

Many Iranians feel that the real threat to our country does not come from those who oppose the regime, but from those who support it.

These concerns do not stop at Iran’s borders. Many of us in the Iranian-British community worry about the growing influence of the regime within the UK. Community concerns have been raised over many years about certain Islamic centres in London that may be promoting extremist ideology or spreading propaganda aligned with the IRGC. These concerns should be investigated carefully. They should not be ignored. Iranians who fled the regime know how far its reach can extend. There are also long-standing worries about money laundering and sanctions evasion. People in the diaspora often point out that properties and businesses connected to regime-linked individuals appear to operate freely in the UK.

These are allegations, of course, but they deserve serious attention, especially given that British security services have warned in recent years about Iranian threats on UK soil.

Another issue that troubles many Iranians is the UK government’s reluctance, so far, to fully proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. For Iranians who have lost friends, family members and neighbours to IRGC violence, this hesitation is painful. It feels as though the government is looking the other way.

At the same time, many Iranians worry about growing social tensions within the UK. People who escaped religious extremism under the Islamic Republic now see worrying signs of radicalisation in parts of British society. They are concerned about the spread of anti-Western, antisemitic and extremist views.

Those who fled the Islamic Republic want to live in a safe and stable country. They want to protect the freedoms they came here to enjoy.

What hurts most is that some politicians and activists in Britain still do not understand what Iranians are fighting for. Iranians want a country where they can live with dignity, without fear or oppression. They want a democratic system.

Many Iranians also look to Prince Reza Pahlavi as a unifying figure for a future free Iran. Whether people agree with this or not, the important point is that Iranians want change and they want the West to stand with them – not with their oppressors.

Gio Esfandiary is a member of the board of Lotus advocacy