Ministers are under growing pressure to ban Iran’s top religious military organisation amid a growing confrontation with Tehran.
More than 550 MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for the 125,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp to be outlawed in the UK over the hardline regime’s so-called ‘hijab and chastity law’.
The Islamist government in Iran is facing a major rebellion against its conservative ideology and is clamping down with an attack on women who dared to remove their headscarves.
In the letter, whose signatories include Tories Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Suella Braverman, and Labour’s Lord Kinnock, the politicians say the ‘mandatory hijab (is) suppressing women who lead the protest and resistance movement to prevent future uprisings’.
‘Appeasing this faltering regime betrays democratic values, emboldens its repressive policies, and undermines global security as Tehran continues its nuclear ambitions and terrorism,’ it added.
‘Given the regime’s complete blockade of all avenues for political activity, the international community must recognise the Iranian people’s right to regime change.
‘The IRGC should be designated as a terrorist organisation.’
It came as three alleged Iranian spies arrested by anti-terror police in London were accused of targeting journalists.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, of St John’s Wood, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44 of Kensal Rise and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, of Ealing, were arrested on May 3 under the National Security Act and have been charged with spying for Tehran.
The trio are alleged to have been helping the Middle Eastern country’s intelligence service between August 14 2024 and February 16 2025, and are accused of targeting individual journalists working for London-based Persian language TV channel, Iran International.
All three appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, and it was revealed that they had been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK after claiming asylum.
They are said to have arrived in the UK, including by small boats, between 2016 and 2022.