US pressuring UK to designate Iran's IRGC 'terrorist'
4 Min Read
Following the Palestinian Resistance's operation and the US pouring weapons into "Israel" amid ongoing massacres, the US plays the victim and goes after the IRGC.
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Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden in the garden of 10 Downing Street in London on July 10, 2023. (AFP)
The US is urging Britain to classify Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as "terrorists" following the Palestinian Resistance's operation in occupied Palestinian territories.
The government of Joe Biden is officially encouraging its friends to "designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization," citing Iran's alleged support of Resistance groups throughout the region.
Several top US officials, according to a Whitehall source, have informally lobbied their UK counterparts to proscribe the body, which has been outlawed in the US since 2019.
During a briefing in Washington, Matthew Miller, the US State Department’s official spokesperson, stated that the US has made their position on the matter "clear", emphasizing that other countries should "take that step."
Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary and chair of the UK "Abraham Accords Group" expressed that "Britain must not be seen as a laggard if we’re to maintain our influence in the region.”
Miller disclosed multiple conversations with European allies regarding Iran.
Send a clear message to Iran
A group of Congress members wrote to Sunak in May urging him to designate the group as a "terror organization" to send a "clear message to Iran."
In January, The Telegraph reported that the UK decided that IRGC is to be declared a "terrorist group" as Tom Tugendhat, the Security Minister, and Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, are advocating for it.
The designation would mean it would become a crime to belong to the IRGC, attend its meetings, support it, or even carry its logo.
Days ago, Sunak landed in "Israel" to put his country's "unwavering support" to the occupation in action.
Meanwhile, James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, stated that sanctions were already achieving “many of the things that people want” from the designation.
His spokesperson detailed that "the IRGC are not only sanctioned in their entirety – a number of individuals within this group are further sanctioned themselves.”
In February, the US State Department expressed that designation was the decision of each country "under their legal authorities and in their best interests."
After public calls to proscribe the group, Sunak responded by stating that although Iran poses a threat, that is the reason the country sanctions more than 350 Iranian individuals, including the IRGC.
“The new National Security Act 2023 also gives us the powers that we need to keep us safe here at home... we will continue to work closely with our allies in finding the best possible way to contain Iran’s pernicious activities.”
UK threatens to expel expats who support the Palestinian resistance
After Suella Braverman told police officers that chanting pro-freedom chants and waving Palestinian flags may be a "criminal offense', the UK is taking their repression of freedom one step further.
The UK Home Office is developing plans that could result in the expulsion of foreign students, academics, and workers for either expressing support for the Palestinian Resistance factions or criticizing the ongoing Israeli aggression on Palestine.
Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister, has tasked department officials with assessing visa revocation based on national security concerns and the presence of evidence indicating discrimination or support for these groups in the aftermath of their activities in "Israel".
This initiative echoes a similar policy enacted in France by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who mandated the immediate expulsion of foreigners who condemned the Israeli aggression, under the pretext of anti-Semitism, leading to three individuals being expelled from the country.
In the UK, visas for foreign students, workers, and visitors can be revoked on national security grounds or if it is deemed to be in the "public interest".
