The UK is going to designate The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iran’s military, as a terrorist organization, The Telegraph reported on Monday.
The UK's Terrorism Act 2000 allows the Home Secretary to proscribe an organization as a terrorist group if the organization "commits or participates in acts of terrorism," "prepares for terrorism," "promotes or encourages terrorism (including the unlawful glorification of terrorism)," or "is otherwise concerned in terrorism."
In brief, the UK government uses "terrorism" to mean an action or threat of action that involves harm to a person, property, electronic system, section of the public or the general public. Furthermore, the threat or action must be intended to influence or intimidate a government or the public and must be motivated by "a political, religious, racial or ideological cause."
Why is this happening now?
The UK's decision to label the IRGC as a terrorist organization comes among heightened tensions between Iran and the West as Iran cracks down on anti-government protestors, including some with ties to the UK.In response to the detainment of protestors with dual nationalities, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said, "We've always said that we will never accept our nationals... being used for diplomatic leverage and we urge the government of Iran to stop its practice of unfairly detaining British and other foreign nationals."
