Following Britain’s designation of the IRGC under new national security legislation, Conservative lawmakers are urging the government to outlaw Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, citing its alleged role in assassination plots and transnational repression.
Britain’s Conservative Party has called on the government to use newly enacted national security legislation to designate Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) as a terrorist organization, arguing that it poses a threat comparable to the already-banned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The proposal follows the British government’s recent decision to invoke new emergency powers to proscribe the IRGC and other foreign state-linked organizations under legislation designed to combat hostile activities conducted on behalf of foreign governments.
According to The Telegraph, Conservative lawmakers now want the government to extend those same powers to the MOIS and the Zindashti criminal network, which British officials have identified as closely linked to the intelligence ministry.
Conservatives Cite National Security Threat
Shadow National Security Minister Alicia Kearns argued that while the IRGC has received considerable public attention, the MOIS has played an equally significant role in the Iranian regime’s overseas operations.
In an article published by The Telegraph, Kearns urged the government to use the powers granted under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 to formally ban the intelligence ministry.
She described the MOIS as the regime’s principal organization for pursuing dissidents abroad, gathering intelligence, directing cyber operations, and coordinating so-called “hack-and-leak” campaigns, including activities attributed to the Handala hacker group.
Kearns also alleged that the ministry has, in some cases, lured opponents of the regime to third countries before facilitating their transfer to Iran.
Parliamentary Report Highlights Overseas Assassination Plots
The renewed calls come after a report published last year by the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) concluded that both the MOIS and the IRGC have been involved in assassination and kidnapping plots targeting British citizens and individuals residing in the United Kingdom.
The committee stated that British intelligence agencies regard both organizations as posing a “significant” threat to the country’s national security and do not distinguish between the level of danger presented by either institution.
According to the report, the Iranian regime employs assassination as an instrument of state policy, with both the MOIS and the IRGC prioritizing the targeting of regime opponents abroad.
The committee further revealed that since the beginning of 2022, British authorities have identified at least 15 attempted murders or kidnappings targeting British nationals or UK-based residents linked to Iran.
Zindashti Network Identified as Operational Arm
The ISC report also referenced extensive European investigations into assassination plots allegedly directed by Iranian intelligence services.
According to the findings, many of these operations were carried out through a criminal network led by Naji Sharifi Zindashti, an Iranian national based in Turkey who has been linked to organized crime activities.
Between 2018 and 2019, British and European intelligence agencies reportedly disrupted multiple operations connected to the network.
In 2019, Britain and several European allies formally informed the Iranian regime that the MOIS was responsible for the killings of three Iranian dissidents in Europe between 2015 and 2017, according to the report.
International Scrutiny of MOIS Activities
The parliamentary report also highlighted allegations involving attempts to abduct Iranian dissidents living abroad.
One example cited was a 2021 FBI investigation accusing a network connected to the MOIS of plotting to kidnap a New York-based Iranian journalist and human rights activist. Investigators said the same network had also monitored individuals living in Britain, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates, with Iranian dissidents identified as the primary targets.
The United States designated the MOIS under terrorism-related sanctions in 2012, citing its support for groups including al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
Britain has already imposed sanctions targeting the ministry and the Zindashti network, including asset freezes and other restrictive measures. However, Conservative lawmakers argue that sanctions alone are insufficient and that formal terrorist designation would provide stronger legal tools to disrupt the ministry’s activities.
Government Says Iran Threat Taken Seriously
Responding to the proposal, a spokesperson for Britain’s Home Office said the government takes threats posed by the Iranian regime “extremely seriously.”
The spokesperson pointed to a series of measures already adopted by the UK, including the proscription of the IRGC under the new legislation, sanctions against more than 550 Iranian individuals and entities, and the introduction of additional legal powers aimed at countering hostile activities linked to the Iranian regime.
The Conservative Party’s proposal signals continued pressure on the British government to expand its legal response to what security officials increasingly describe as a persistent campaign of transnational repression conducted by Tehran against critics and dissidents living abroad.
