UK says Iran-backed group is behind antisemitic attacks, bans the Revolutionary Guard
An Iranian-backed proxy group is behind a series of antisemitic attacks across Britain, the U.K. government announced Monday.
The U.K. says the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, or IMCR, has claimed responsibility for seven attacks in the U.K., including an attack on a London Jewish volunteer organization, which had four ambulances set ablaze back in March.
It has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
In a statement Monday, Security Minister Angela Eagle said members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force “almost certainly” directed the IMCR to conduct the attacks.
A terrorist organization
In addition to linking the group to recent attacks, the U.K. also announced new sanctions Monday, designating the IMCR as a terrorist organization.
It banned, or legally proscribed, both IMCR, also known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, and the Revolutionary Guard as hostile organizations.
“Having carefully considered all the evidence, the Home Secretary has concluded that there is sufficient basis to reasonably believe that each of these bodies is engaged in foreign power threat activity, and that each designation is necessary to protect the safety and interests of the United Kingdom,” the U.K.’s Home Office said.
The move gives the government additional powers to prevent terrorist and foreign attacks. It makes being a member of the group, attending its meetings or carrying its logo illegal.
According to The Associated Press, committing acts of sabotage on behalf of the groups will now be punishable by up to life in prison.
The designation comes months after the European Union listed the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.
Rising antisemitism
The designation and months of recent attacks come amid a broader rise in antisemitic incidents globally.
As Straight Arrow has reported, antisemitic incidents in the United States have increased 900% over the last decade.
The Anti-Defamation League has also found that nearly half the people worldwide hold what it describes as “significant antisemitic beliefs.”
Recent incidents have kept the issue in focus, including a deadly attack in Australia, a vehicle attack in New York City, and a 2025 incident in Manchester in which a driver struck people gathered outside a synagogue.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
