Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the threat posed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to (a) the UK and its interests in the Middle East and (b) Iranians critical of the regime in the UK.

We do not routinely comment on operational or intelligence matters, however the UK will always stand up to threats from foreign nations.

As I announced in my statement to the House on the 20 February, HMG have responded to 15 credible threats to kidnap or even kill UK-based individuals by the Iranian regime. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and will continue to take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.

The UK Government has been clear about its continued concerns over destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the UK and overseas. This includes IRGC political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups in the region, including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK already sanctions the IRGC in its entirety and on the 20 March, 7 further individuals were sanctioned.

In concert with partners, the Home Office is leading work on countering Iranian-state threats, making use of the full breadth and expertise of the government and our extraordinary and courageous police, security, and intelligence agencies.