British Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati stated that the United Kingdom's formal plans to ban support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) early this week brought him a sense of relief he hadn't felt in years. He called it "the happiest day of my life since I was stabbed." Zeraati, who was attacked in 2024, believes that to counter threats like the one he faced, it is necessary to address the "main cause of it, the root of it, which is the Iranian regime and specifically the IRGC." He sees the U.K.'s new designation as a "huge step that gives huge leverage to law enforcement to track, monitor, and counter the main source of the threat."
The IRGC was officially designated as a "threat to national security" on Friday, following approval by both houses of the U.K. Parliament. This designation was fast-tracked by the outgoing administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Under the new U.K. powers, providing support or assistance to the IRGC is now a criminal offense, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, aligning it with support for U.K.-designated terrorist organizations. Acts of sabotage carried out on behalf of the group could lead to life imprisonment.
Persian-speaking journalists in the West, along with their relatives in Iran, have frequently been targets of threats and intimidation from the Iranian regime. As a prominent TV anchor for Iran International, a network critical of the Islamic Republic, Zeraati had experienced numerous life threats. His image appeared on billboards in Iran with accusations of being a "child killer," and a poster of him and his colleagues bore the words "Wanted: Dead or Alive." The Iranian regime had previously designated Iran International as a terrorist organization.
In February 2022, London's Metropolitan Police installed concrete barriers and maintained a 24/7 armed presence outside Iran International's London studios in response to "credible and immediate threats" to staff. Within a year, the channel was forced to suspend its U.K. operations and temporarily relocate to Washington, D.C.
The threat against Zeraati materialized in March 2024. While walking from his south London home to his car, two men attacked him; one restrained him while the other stabbed him three times in the thigh. The assailants fled in a waiting car driven by a third individual, and the trio immediately left the U.K. Zeraati required emergency treatment for serious injuries. Despite the attack, he returned to work at Iran International's London studios within a week, stating, "Of course, the goal was to silence me, first of all. But it wasn't successful because, since that day, I am more determined to continue what I am doing." He now anchors his show remotely from outside the U.K. due to safety concerns.
British prosecutors revealed that the stabbing was the result of months of planning and surveillance. At least one suspect had conducted surveillance of Zeraati's property a year prior. Communication data showed repeated contact between the suspects and a third party, with financial evidence indicating that the defendants' expenses were funded by external accounts. In early July, two Romanian nationals, Nandito Badea and George Stana, received sentences of 12 and eight years, respectively, for their involvement in the attack. A third man is facing domestic criminal proceedings in Romania, according to British police.
In the year leading up to October 2025, the U.K.'s domestic spy agency, MI5, identified at least 20 Iran-linked plots targeting individuals in the U.K. These plots, along with other attacks on Jewish communities, were significant factors in the U.K. government's decision to designate the IRGC. The IRGC, closely linked to the military and directly answerable to Iran's supreme leader, is central to the state's security apparatus and has a history of targeting dissidents abroad. Its Quds Force is specifically tasked with directing overseas operations.
In conjunction with the IRGC proscription, the U.K. also banned the Islamic Companions of the Right (IMCR), a group previously linked to attacks on U.K. and European locations with Jewish communities, including an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to the global Jewish medical organization United Hatzalah. The British government now believes the IMCR was directed by members of the IRGC's Quds Force.
The United States designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019, followed by Canada in 2024 and the European Union in February of this year. The U.K.'s decision faced political contention due to concerns about its impact on diplomatic ties with Iran. The U.K. Foreign Ministry reportedly feared the expulsion of the British ambassador to Iran, which would close a critical communication channel.
Neil Basu, former head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing, described the U.K.'s move as "both a totemic gesture which is good for politics internally and with international allies." He added that the new criminal offenses would help law enforcement combat "the new statecraft methodology of recruiting petty criminals." Basu believes potential recruits will be deterred by the severity of punishment and the elevated national security status of such offenses, noting increased cooperation among intelligence agencies. "You're more likely to be caught, which any criminologist would agree is the best deterrent," he stated.
Zeraati concurred that the deterrence factor could be effective. "With or without this designation, I don't think the IRGC's activity will change … But I think the question now goes more towards the proxies," he said. "This decision, I think, will make the criminals (think twice) about whether they want to work with this regime or not." Zeraati expressed cautious optimism about returning to the U.K., stating, "This is the first step, and I think it will lead to a safer U.K. And as soon as I see myself — in terms of the transnational repression threat — safer residing in the U.K., I wouldn't hesitate to go back."
