LONDON – United Kingdom has announced one of its toughest steps yet against Iran, officially designating Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization under expanded counterterrorism powers amid already strained ties between London and Tehran.
The decision comes amid reports of alarming statement attributed to IRGC warning that its “time for patience is over.” The statement threatened infrastructure linked to the US, Israel, and several key Middle Eastern partners, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
It also claimed that any future strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure, potentially disrupting global energy markets for years.
British Security Minister Angela Eagle told Parliament that the designation makes it a criminal offense in the UK to promote, support, or materially assist the IRGC or benefit from activities connected to the organization. The government simultaneously expanded its list of banned groups by adding the Iran-linked Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right and a volunteer corps reportedly associated with Russia’s GRU military intelligence.
The latest measures reflect a sharp deterioration in UK-Iran relations at a time when geopolitical tensions across the Middle East remain dangerously high. Analysts warn that further escalation could threaten regional security, international shipping routes, and critical energy infrastructure.
Amid new confrontation, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, delivered his first public remarks since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with online graphic naming 13 foreign leaders in what it described as a “revenge list.”
The picture published by Persian-language newspaper, featured US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu beneath sniper-style crosshairs, alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior Western figures.
Khamenei was quoted as saying that “vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out,” adding that those named “will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death.”
The publication coincides with renewed US media reports alleging that Iran discussed assassination plots targeting President Trump. US intelligence agencies have been monitoring persistent threats and Israeli intelligence shared information regarding an alleged plot. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed Iran wanted to target him, saying he had seen reports placing him “on every single one of their lists.”
Iran says targeted American bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan amid US strikes
