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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: 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

In Brief: US seeks to calm tensions after drone strikes in Syria

The United States has sought to calm fears of military escalation in Syria following a drone strike against groups linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). President Biden stated that “the United States does not seek conflict with Iran”, whilst maintaining that he will continue to defend Americans against Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years28 March, 2023 ago

In Brief: Lammy sets out foreign policy framework for Labour government

Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy will seek to ‘retool’ Britain’s foreign policy in order build prosperity for working people under a prospective Labour government. As part of a series of proposals set out in a pamphlet for the Fabian Society, Lammy states that Foreign Office under the Conservative has been Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years28 March, 2023 ago

In Brief: Iran’s IRGC implicated in German synagogue shooting

An attack on a historic synagogue in Essen, Germany last November was reportedly perpetrated by a biker gang leader who now lives in Iran and is accused of directing antisemitic attacks from there. Ramin Yektaparast, who is wanted on suspicion of murder in Germany, was named as a suspect in Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years21 March, 2023 ago

Christian Wakeford pushes government on Iranian front organisations and IRGC

  LFI parliamentary supporter Christian Wakeford has today used Home Office Questions to highlight the Iranian regime’s use of front organisations in the UK, and once again to urge the government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Tehran’s ideological terror army – a longstanding LFI campaign goal. He asked: Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years20 March, 2023 ago

Labour Friends of Israel: NPF Consultation Submission 

The below is Labour Friends of Israel’s 2023 National Policy Forum submission, to the ‘Britain in the world’ commission. Labour Friends of Israel: NPF Consultation Submission  About LFI Established in 1957, Labour Friends of Israel campaigns for a negotiated two-state solution for two peoples; with Israel safe, secure and recognised Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years16 March, 2023 ago

LFI parliamentarians push the government to keep its Middle East promises

Today’s FCDO orals session saw LFI parliamentarians push the government on a number of policy issues. LFI parliamentary supporter and former LFI chair Andrew Gwynne MP asked the foreign secretary about UK support for the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, noting that it is now five years since the UK Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years14 March, 2023 ago

Analysis: Iran-Saudi deal places China’s Middle East role in spotlight

Iran and Saudi Arabia are to re-establish diplomatic relations, following an agreement brokered by China, which has potential implications both for the US’ role in the Middle East and Israel’s hopes of fostering an alliance to challenge Tehran’s bid for regional dominance. What happened The agreement between Iran and Saudi Read more…

By lfiIsrael, 2 years14 March, 2023 ago

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