Pouria Zeraati expressed relief after the U.K. formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a national security threat.

Pouria Zeraati, a British Iranian journalist, expressed significant relief following the U.K. government's formal designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a threat to national security. The move makes providing support to the IRGC a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison, while acts of sabotage on behalf of the group could result in life imprisonment. The designation follows a series of state-sponsored attacks, including a 2024 stabbing of Pouria Zeraati by Romanian mercenaries acting on behalf of the Iranian regime. The U.K. government also banned the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, a proxy group directed by the IRGC’s Quds Force. These groups have been responsible for various arson attacks on Jewish sites and Persian-language media outlets. While the U.K. previously hesitated to proscribe the IRGC due to potential diplomatic friction with Tehran, the administration prioritized national security. Experts suggest the move serves as a deterrent against the regime's use of petty criminals as proxies to target dissidents and allies abroad.

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