On Monday, the United Kingdom attributed a series of antisemitic arson incidents targeting Jewish sites to a proxy group linked to Iran, leading the government to outlaw the influential Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Tehran and implement extensive measures aimed at curbing foreign-backed acts of sabotage.
According to British authorities, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR) officially took responsibility for seven attacks this year on locations connected to Jewish and Israeli interests, as well as on a Persian-language media platform that criticizes Iran’s government. The U.K. government reported that the elite Qods Force of the IRGC was “almost certainly” orchestrating the group’s activities throughout Europe.
The spate of attacks included arson at synagogues, vehicles of Jewish charity organizations, and other Jewish community facilities in London. Fortunately, these incidents did not result in any injuries.
On July 13, 2026, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with the Jewish community at a Downing Street reception to discuss strategies for combating antisemitism. (Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett/Pool)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that these newly adopted measures deliver a firm warning to foreign entities intent on inciting violence.
“We will never let Britain be a playground for states who want to spread fear, division and violence on our streets,” Starmer said. “Anyone acting on behalf of those who threaten our national security should be in no doubt that there is no place for you in Britain.”
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer discusses efforts to tackle antisemitism at Downing Street in London, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
If Parliament approves the designations later this week, anyone carrying out acts of sabotage — including arson — on behalf of the IRGC, IMCR or Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps could face life imprisonment. Supporting or assisting the groups could carry prison sentences of up to 14 years.
The British government said the new authorities, created under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, will make it easier for prosecutors to secure convictions because they will no longer have to prove a direct foreign government connection in every case.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accused both Tehran and Moscow of relying on criminal proxies to conduct hostile operations inside the United Kingdom.
“Iran and Russia are using proxies and thugs to do their dirty work on our shores,” Mahmood said. “I have rapidly designated three groups so those working for them will be tracked down and put behind bars.”
The government said IMCR emerged online earlier this year and has also claimed responsibility for attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands. British intelligence officials say Iran-backed proxy groups have increasingly recruited members of criminal organizations to carry out sabotage, intimidation and physical attacks across Europe, often targeting Jewish communities and Iranian dissidents.
Charred remains of ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish community organization, which were set on fire in an incident that the police say is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, in London, March 23, 2026. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)
According to the U.K., MI5 identified at least 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots against individuals in Britain over the past year. The government has already sanctioned more than 550 Iranian-linked individuals and entities and has pledged £250 million ($334,662,500) over three years to strengthen security for Jewish communities, including increased protection for synagogues, schools and community centers.
Britain also designated Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps, saying the group acts as a proxy for Russian military intelligence by recruiting individuals online to conduct sabotage, arson and other hostile operations.
The crackdown comes just weeks after two Romanian men were sentenced to prison for stabbing a journalist working for a Persian-language television station in London, an attack a British judge said was carried out on behalf of the Iranian state.
Iran did not immediately comment on Monday’s announcement, according to The Associated Press.