Labour Friends of Israel
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Iran

For several years, LFI has warned about the activities and agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran which not only poses an existential threat to Israel, but also a substantial threat to Britain. 

 

Iran is a hugely destabilising force in the Middle East. Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic revolution was never designed to be confined to within Iran’s borders. Thus, with financial assistance, guidance and training provided by the regime’s ideological warriors, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Tehran has established and commands a broad network of Shia militant proxy armies and terror groups, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis. Iran’s strategic goal is the completion of an “arc of influence” – a land bridge connecting Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea and the Israeli border. The completion of the land link would allow for the free flow of arms, soldiers and oil from Hezbollah in the Golan to Iran, via Syria and Assadist forces and Shia-controlled Iraq. 

 

Alongside its proxy armies, Tehran has a burgeoning ballistic missile arsenal and appears to be actively pursuing a nuclear weapons programme with repeated and continual breaches of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action. These developments are concerning not simply because Iran has the Middle East’s largest and most diverse missile arsenal, with a range of up to 2,000km but because of its status as the only country that openly calls for the annihilation of another state.  

 

The regime’s pernicious activities overseas are matched by a malign record at home. Over the past four decades, Iran’s human rights record has consistently been one of the worst in the world. Dissent is rarely tolerated and ruthlessly put down. In the protests and clampdown which followed the death at the hands of the “morality police” of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022, approximately 500 protesters, including at least 68 children, were killed by the security forces and almost 20,000 people were arrested. In 2023, Iran executed over 700 people – a significant increase on 2022 – with the widespread use of torture; severe restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly and the rights of women; and the targeting of human rights and union activists, lawyers, journalists, students and minorities, including the LGBTQ+ community and religious minorities. 

 

LFI has led the way in calling for the British government to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Labour supports proscription, and set out the legislative changes necessary to make it happen. Outlining his decision, the shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy stated: “The Iranian regime’s actions against courageous protestors seeking a better future, as well as British nationals imprisoned in Iran and its threats to UK security mean robust action is needed now. The IRGC is behaving like a terrorist organisation and must now be proscribed as such.” Labour reiterated its commitment to proscribe the IRGC at LFI’s 2023 annual lunch. 

 

LFI previously played a leading role in the effort to persuade the British government to proscribe Hezbollah in its entirety in the UK, with our former chair, Joan Ryan, at the forefront of parliamentary efforts. This work came to fruition in January 2019, when the government agreed that there was no meaningful distinction between Hezbollah’s political and military wings and proscribed the former. Another former chair, Dame Louise Ellman, repeatedly highlighted – and called for an end to – protestors parading Hezbollah flags at the annual Al-Quds Day march in London. 

 

LFI also works to highlight the danger posed by Iran’s ballistic missile programme. As Michael Herzog, former head of the IDF’s strategic planning and now Israel’s ambassador to the United States, argued in LFI’s publication on Iran, “missiles would serve as the main delivery system for a nuclear weapon. At the same time, missiles, rockets and, increasingly, armed drones are proliferated by Iran as a central tool in its regional power projection.” 

 

Our chair, Steve McCabe MP, led calls for the British government to act before the Iranian missile ban lapsed, as well as raising concerns about the expiry of sanctions covering Tehran’s ballistic missile programme. 

 

LFI has exposed Iran’s appalling human rights record and the past failures of the government to impose Magnitsky sanctions – which are designed to promote human rights and punish corruption. We were pleased that David Lammy has echoed our calls for employing such sanctions.  

Analysis: Assad back in the Arab League fold

Bashar al-Assad triumphantly returned to the Middle East’s top table last week – 12 years after the blood-soaked dictator was suspended from the Arab League at the outset of a civil war which has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. What happened On Friday, Assad attended an Arab Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years24 May, 2023 ago

Christian Wakeford pushes government on Iranian disinformation in the UK

At today’s Home Office Questions, LFI parliamentary supporter Christian Wakeford MP pushed the government for detail on its actions against Iranian interference in UK politics. “It’s now more than two years since The Times reported that Iranian cyber specialists were peddling disinformation in an attempt to influence the results of Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years22 May, 2023 ago

Analysis: Fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad takes hold

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad appeared to be holding, bringing to a close five days of conflict in Gaza and the Jewish state. What happened The Egyptian-brokered ceasefire came into force at 10pm on Saturday night. It was followed by a barrage of rockets from Gaza, and retaliatory Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years16 May, 2023 ago

In Brief: Syria welcomed back into Arab fold following decade of isolation

Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad cemented his return to the Arab fold this week, as Saudi Arabia – a key ally of rebel groups in Syria’s civil war – said its diplomats would return to the country. The restoration of diplomatic ties on Tuesday, later confirmed by Damascus, follows more than Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years10 May, 2023 ago

Lord Turnberg discusses Iran’s terrorist influence in Lords debate

In today’s House of Lords question on Palestinian civilian casualties, LFI parliamentary supporter Lord Turnberg reminded colleagues of the malign influence of Iran as a barrier to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly through the funding of terrorist groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Hezbollah. He asked: “My Lords, Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years10 May, 2023 ago

Keir Starmer welcomes Israeli president Herzog to London

Labour leader Keir Starmer has today met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, who have arrived in London to represent Israel at the coronation ceremony for King Charles III. In a meeting this afternoon, the pair discussed a number of issues including Labour’s commitment to strong UK-Israeli relations and the need Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years5 May, 2023 ago

In Brief: Iranian minister predicts “Zionist collapse” during Lebanese border visit

Iran’s foreign minister toured Lebanon’s border with Israel on Friday as part of a visit to the Arab nation, including taking pictures looking into the Jewish state, of which his regime routinely calls for the destruction. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited with a number of Lebanese parliamentarians and members of Hezbollah, the Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years3 May, 2023 ago

Analysis: IRGC tightens grip on Iran’s economy amid new UK assassination plots warning

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Tehran’s much-feared ideological army – has effectively taken charge of the Iranian economy, secret documents published last weekend indicate. The revelations – published by the Sunday Times – come amid warnings about IRGC assassination plots in Britain and its efforts to rally terror groups Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years3 May, 2023 ago

LFI parliamentarians attend briefing on Middle East security situation

This afternoon, a number of LFI parliamentarians joined a Britain-Israel APPG briefing from Tamir Hayman, managing director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), on the security situation in the Middle East, including the threat posed by Iran and the domestic situation in Israel.

By lfiIsrael, 2 years3 May, 2023 ago

LFI parliamentarians push govt on peacebuilding and IRGC at FCDO Orals

At today’s Foreign Office Questions session, LFI parliamentarians questioned the government on a number of issues relating to Israel and the Middle East. Shadow Tech Minister and LFI parliamentary supporter Alex Davies-Jones MP asked what work the Foreign Office was doing to encourage the use of innovative tech and AI Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years2 May, 2023 ago

In Brief: Iran supplying Russia with ammunition for war in Ukraine

Iran has reportedly shipped over 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition to Russia across the Caspian Sea in the past 6 months, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Iran has mostly used cargo flights to ship weapons to Russia due to the inability of Ukraine Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years27 April, 2023 ago

LFI parliamentarians support cross-party letter calling for IRGC proscription

LFI chair Steve McCabe MP and a number of LFI parliamentarians have signed a cross-party letter calling on the government to finally proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. Other signatories included LFI vice-chairs Diana Johnson MP, Sharon Hodgson MP and John Spellar MP. The letter Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years19 April, 2023 ago

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