The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) welcomes the UK government’s decisive action to counter the growing threat posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies on British soil. The announcement of robust new measures to classify Iran as a formal foreign influence risk – including its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and intelligence services – marks a vital and long-overdue step in defending British citizens from Tehran’s malign activities.
For years, the NJA has been voicing calls to ban the IRGC and dismantle Iran’s influence operations in the UK. Today, we are proud to see our efforts, and those of our partners, finally paying off.
This major crackdown, announced by Security Minister Dan Jarvis, will require anyone acting on behalf of Iran to register under the new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme or face serious criminal penalties. It also sends an unequivocal message to Iran’s operatives and sympathisers: your activities are known, your networks will be exposed, and you will be held accountable.
NJA Chairman Gary Mond said: “This is a landmark moment for the security of the UK and its Jewish community. The IRGC is not merely a foreign military entity – it is a global terrorist organisation with blood on its hands. For too long, Iran’s agents and sympathisers have been allowed to operate in the UK with impunity, spreading extremist ideology, intimidating dissidents, and fuelling antisemitism.”
Mond added, “We are thrilled that the government has finally taken serious action to confront this threat. But this must only be the beginning. We reiterate our call for the full proscription of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation and the total dismantling of its influence network here in Britain.”
The NJA will continue to monitor these developments closely and urges the government to follow through with full IRGC proscription and further protections for vulnerable communities.
For media enquiries, please contact: office@nja.org.uk
