Minister opposes ban on Revolutionary Guard
BANNING Iran’s Revolutionary Guard could sever the UK’s direct diplomatic link with Tehran, a minister has warned.
Rishi Sunak has come under renewed pressure to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation following Iran’s missile attack on Israel.
But Home Office minister Laura Farris suggested Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron wants to maintain the ability to speak directly to Iran, something which could be jeopardised if the military force is banned.
The UK is keen to preserve diplomatic ties with Tehran to minimise the risk of a miscalculation in the Middle East which could ignite a wider war.
Britain joined the United States and other allies in shooting down Iranian attack drones on Saturday night, and has subsequently joined the US in urging calm in the region.
The IRGC wields significant influence over
Iran’s politics. It has been blamed for destabilising the Middle East through its support for groups including Hamas and Hezbollah targeting Israel, and the Houthis in Yemen who have attacked Red Sea shipping.
Senior Tories including former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and ex-home secretary Suella Braverman have urged the Prime Minister to proscribe the group as a terrorist organisation. The Israeli government has also pleaded with countries including the UK to ban the IRGC.
But Ms Farris said: “We’re not for a second defending the IRGC. We’re simply saying that maintaining that channel with Tehran at this moment in time is, at present, in our national interest.”
She admitted: “We have repeatedly sanctioned both individual commanders and the IRGC more generally, so that puts very severe restrictions on their ability to move and on other freedoms that they would have had. We are not suggesting they are not a problem.”
Mr Sunak has indicated that any further action could be co-ordinated with the G7 group of major democracies.
The US designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in 2019. A handful of other countries including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, have also done so.