Britain just gave itself a new legal weapon against foreign state threats, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the first major target. The National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 received royal assent on July 8, creating a proscription-style designation framework that treats state-linked organizations with the same legal severity typically reserved for terrorist groups.

On July 13, the UK government named its first batch of designated entities: the IRGC, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR, also linked to Iranian activities), and Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps. Anyone providing support or assistance to these organizations now faces up to 14 years in prison. Acts of sabotage, like…