The United Kingdom is preparing to ban groups that work for hostile foreign powers, including Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the new measures potentially coming into force as early as next month. The move would give the authorities the ability to act against organisations accused of operating on British soil on behalf of foreign states.
Under the plans, up to 10 groups would be designated as proxies for hostile states, as part of an effort to combat threats from countries including Russia, Iran and China. The designation is aimed at organisations acting at the direction of foreign governments, providing a tool to target the networks said to do those states' work rather than only the states themselves.
The new powers were promised following a series of anti-Semitic attacks in London, which intensified pressure on the government to act against foreign-linked extremism and intimidation. Those incidents have been cited as part of the reasoning behind introducing the tougher measures now being prepared.
The framework would carry severe penalties for individuals. According to the plans, anyone who carries out assassination attempts, surveillance or sabotage on behalf of a designated group could face up to 14 years in prison, reflecting the seriousness with which the authorities say they are treating foreign-state activity inside the country.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is expected to be among the first groups designated under the new powers. That would place the Iranian state's most powerful security force at the front of the list of organisations targeted by the planned crackdown on foreign-state proxies in Britain.
The measures come amid live criminal cases connected to attacks in the capital. Subban Ahmed, an 18-year-old from East London, has been charged with assisting an offender in connection with an arson attack on Jewish communities in North London, one of the incidents that has heightened concern and fed calls for stronger action.
Taken together, the planned designations and the lengthy prison terms point to a hardening of the United Kingdom's stance toward foreign interference and the networks accused of carrying it out. The coming weeks are expected to make clearer exactly which groups will be named and when the new powers will formally take effect.