British Prime Minister Keir Starmer relayed the designation as he hosted a reception with the Jewish community at 10 Downing Street to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on July 13, 2026. —Suzanne Plunkett—Getty ImagesThe U.K. government announced Monday it is designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a threat to national security under new powers.The designation comes after a series of antisemitic attacks in the U.K., including arson offenses against Jewish ambulance services.If the proscription-like powers to combat state threats are approved by parliament later this week, it will mean anyone supporting the IRGC, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR), or Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps could receive a 14-year prison sentence.Furthermore, anyone “involved in acts of sabotage on behalf of designated groups could face life imprisonment,” the Home Office said.“Iran and Russia are using proxies and thugs to do their dirty work on our shores. I have rapidly designated three groups so those working for them will be tracked down and put behind bars,” said British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in a statement shared with TIME. “I will leave no stone unturned to keep our country safe.”British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a similar assessment, stating the U.K. government has “already taken tough action against the Iranian regime and those linked to it… these new powers will make it easier to prosecute and lock up anyone carrying out their dirty work here in Britain.”Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism in the U.K.In late February, while confirming that the U.K. was not involved in the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, Starmer had said the Iranian regime “poses a direct threat to dissidents and the Jewish community” in Britain.“Over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on U.K. soil,” he said.In March, four men were arrested on suspicion of conducting surveillance of locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London to assist Iran. Two of the men were later charged with “engaging in conduct that is likely to assist a foreign intelligence service” between July and August last year.Starmer re-emphasized the gravity of the threat in late April after an antisemitic attack in Golders Green, a predominantly Jewish area in London, saw two Jewish men taken to hospital with stab wounds.The new powers regarding state threats build on a broader government effort to strengthen protections for Jewish communities in the U.K.“Jewish communities will see a major boost in protection, backed by more than £250 million (around $333 million) across the next 3 years, as ministers step up efforts to keep communities safe following a series of attacks in London and the raising of the national terror threat level from substantial to severe,” the government said.Starmer detailed the efforts to tackle antisemitism as he hosted a reception with the Jewish community at 10 Downing Street Monday morning.Many British lawmakers have long called for the IRGC to be designated a terrorist organization. A group of ministers urged the government to take the step in 2019, citing several reasons from the suppression of Iranian citizens' rights to the IRGC's "prominent role in exporting and supporting terrorism in the Middle East and across the world."In March this year, a cross-party motion was tabled in the House of Commons by lawmakers calling for the government to “immediately proscribe the IRGC in its entirety under the Terrorism Act 2000 and to apply a consistent and uncompromising approach to sectarian extremism.” It received a total of 14 signatures.The announcement Monday regarding the new proscription-like measures has been welcomed by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.Elsewhere, Maryam Rajavi—president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a Paris-based umbrella organisation—said the announcement, “though long overdue, is essential for regional and global peace, stability, and security.”The move also arrives on the heel of renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran amid an ongoing struggle over the Strait of Hormuz.The U.K. has previously joined other European countries in calling for a full, toll-free reopening of the vital waterway.The E.U. 's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas on Monday urged “there can be no tolls, no fees” in the Strait of Hormuz and freedom of navigation “has to be respected.”Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said the U.S. is reinstating its naval blockade against Iran and will charge 20% on all cargo shipped through the Strait to cover "any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the world."