Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Baroness Verma Excerpts

Tuesday 13th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

As I said to my noble friend, we keep proscription under constant review, and that will always be the case. I am sure he is aware that the IRGC is sanctioned by the UK Government. That sanction means that we have travel bans, so no known member of the IRGC can travel to the United Kingdom. Where it has resources in the United Kingdom, those resources are frozen under international obligations. So there are significant actions against that appalling regime, and we are acutely aware of the difficulties and challenges that it is facing. We condemn the actions it is taking on the ground in Iran at the moment and we will keep the issue of proscription under review, as I have mentioned.

[Baroness Verma (Con)]

My Lords, over the past few days we have witnessed horrifying pictures of murder and torture on our TV screens. We cannot allow that to just go past without making some very strong statements, knowing full well that the IRGC is behind a lot of those murders and killings. Will the Minister— I am sure he will—take back to the Prime Minister our need to be very forthright in condemning this and making sure that we are working with our other partners to ensure that this horrible regime understands the feeling from the West?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I can assure the noble Baroness that my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has this week spoken directly to the Iranian Government. The Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom is being summoned to see Foreign Office Ministers today. As we speak, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is making a Statement in the House of Commons outlining a range of other measures that the Government intend to take. The noble Baroness can be assured that we are appalled by the actions of the Iranian Government and will continue to make representations accordingly.