Senior minister Peter Kyle has dismissed calls for the UK to proscribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, despite the group's leading role in the violent suppression of protests within the country.
Sanctions 'Used to Full Extent' Says Minister
Speaking on Monday 12 January 2026, the Business Secretary insisted the government had already exhausted its available punitive measures. "We've already used the sanctions against Iran to the full extent we can," Mr Kyle told Times Radio.
He argued that domestic counter-terrorism legislation, recently used to proscribe the protest group Palestinian Action, was not the appropriate tool for dealing with state bodies. This view, he noted, was shared by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.
"When we use domestic legislation we need to make sure that it's appropriate use of it," Kyle stated, while affirming the government's deep concern for civilians in Iran.
Labour's Apparent U-Turn on IRGC Ban
The refusal marks a significant shift from the stance previously championed by the Labour Party while in opposition. In 2023, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, then shadow home secretary, pledged that a Labour government would proscribe the IRGC.
In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Ms Cooper promised to introduce a "bespoke proscribing mechanism" to tackle state-sponsored threats like the IRGC and Russia's Wagner Group. Her position was backed at the time by 125 cross-party MPs, who signed a letter urging the then-government under Rishi Sunak to act.
The IRGC is widely believed to be behind state-sponsored terrorism emanating from Iran and has been at the forefront of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's brutal crackdown on domestic dissent, with reports of protestors being gunned down in the streets.
Pressure Builds Amid US Stance and Trump Threats
The United States has already designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, increasing pressure on the UK to follow suit. Hopes for a UK ban were briefly raised on Sunday when minister Heidi Alexander indicated the issue remained under review.
Activists are intensifying their calls for a change of heart. At a demonstration in London on Sunday, Laila Jazayeri, director of the Association of Anglo-Iranian Women, stated: "The prime minister should proscribe the deadly force IRGC, that is killing people inside Iran."
Mr Kyle also addressed the potential for US military action against Iran, following threats from former President Donald Trump. When asked if Britain would support an American strike, the Business Secretary told Sky News the government would need to "see how this unfolds" and understand the specifics of any proposal.
He emphasised the strength of the UK-US relationship and reiterated the government's support for the Iranian people's right to self-determination, condemning the regime's "murderous" crackdown. Sir Keir Starmer, he added, was working with international partners to bring further pressure to bear on Tehran.
