UK Targets Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps with New State Threats Law

The UK government has introduced a new legal framework to combat foreign state threats, specifically targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 received royal assent on July 8 and designates the IRGC as a proscribed entity, along with Russia's GRU Volunteer Corps and the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR).

The law imposes penalties of up to 14 years in prison for anyone providing support or assistance to these organizations. The IMCR has been linked to seven claimed attacks on UK Jewish or Israeli-linked sites in 2026, highlighting the need for stronger legislation.

The new Act creates a tailored designation framework that can target state-linked entities specifically, rather than trying to shoehorn them into terrorism statutes. This approach is similar to the EU's designations of the IRGC as a terrorist organization on February 19, 2026.

The connection between the IRGC and cryptocurrency is significant, with reports suggesting that the entity has used digital currencies for sanctions evasion. The new law raises questions about what constitutes 'support or assistance' in a decentralized financial system and whether exchanges unknowingly processing transactions linked to designated entities could face legal exposure.