Proscribe Iran’s IRGC
The stabbing of an Iranian emigre journalist near his home in Wimbledon, south-west London, bears the hallmarks of an attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Groups (IRGC). The culprits are unidentified but the victim Pouria Zeraati, a presenter for a London-based Iranian TV news channel, is a critic of the regime in Tehran.
Police say they are keeping an open mind about the motives for the attack on Mr Zeraati, who was stabbed in the leg and is stable in hospital.
But counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation, an indication that they suspect this was politically motivated. The Met said there “has been a number of threats directed towards this group of journalists”. In 2022, two British-iranian broadcasters were warned of a possible risk to their lives and armed police were stationed outside the channel’s studios. More than a dozen plots have been foiled to kidnap or kill Uk-based individuals perceived as enemies of the Iranian regime.
Why are we putting up with this proxy terror war on our soil? In January, Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, announced a set of sanctions against several IRGC commanders after they were exposed in a TV investigation into an assassination plot.
Yet the Government inexplicably continues to resist calls to proscribe the IRGC even though the Home Office wanted it added to a list of banned terrorist groups. What further evidence is needed to show that it poses a threat to the security of this country and to exiled critics of the Tehran regime?
Videos have emerged of anti-semitic speeches by IRGC generals given to students in London. One speaker has since boasted of his role in training Hamas before the October 7 attacks in Israel.
Alicia Kearns MP, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, said Iran continues to hunt down those brave enough to speak out.
“I remain unconvinced that we and our allies have clear strategies to protect people in our countries from them and to protect our interests abroad,” she added. She is not alone in her scepticism. The Government needs to take a far more robust line against the IRGC.