UK residents working for Iran must register with government or face prison

British representatives of the Iranian state must now register with the government after new laws targeting foreign influence campaigns in the UK.

Iran, its intelligence services and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been placed on the highest tier of a new scheme to protect the UK from foreign influence.

The government announced the new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs) today in the Commons. The measures mean anybody who works for – or is a proxy of – the Iranian state will have to register their presence in the UK or they could face jail time.

The announcement falls short of proscribing the IRGC, which some campaigners have been calling for.

Security minister Dan Jarvis said Iran, including its IRGC intelligence services and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, is being placed on the "enhanced tier" of the Firs.

Any members of the Iranian state, or acting on behalf of the state, carrying out "political influence activities" in the UK will have to register themselves with the scheme or face up to five years in jail.

The Firs has two levels aimed at bolstering the resilience of the UK's political system against covert foreign influence. Iran is the first foreign power to be placed on the enhanced tier of Firs.

The first level is a "political influence" tier – which relates to those in contact with senior decision makers such as UK ministers, MPs and senior civil servants.

Jarvis called the scheme "a critical disruptive tool for the UK" and said it will be implemented by the summer.

Welcoming today’s announcement to tackle the threat from Iran, Labour Friends of Israel chair Jon Pearce MP said: “The Iranian regime brutally suppresses its own people, represents a clear and present danger to security and prosperity in the Middle East and poses a growing danger to the UK – from attempted assassinations and plots on British streets, threatening the Jewish community, and aiding Putin's war against Ukraine.

“That's why the government is absolutely right to take this strong action today, adding Iran to the foreign influence registration scheme and announcing a review of proscription powers for state-backed groups. For too long the Tories were far too soft on Tehran, failing to proscribe the IRGC or institute meaningful action against the regime. Under Labour, Iran can be in no doubt about the UK's conviction to tackle the threat posed by this terror regime.”

Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC Research at United Against Nuclear Iran (Uani) also welcomed the government announcement.

“A welcome first step towards countering the Iranian regime’s presence in the UK — so the government should be applauded. But enforcement will be key.

“We at Uani have continuously exposed entities in the UK linked to the IRGC and even carrying out IRGC-linked activities — yet the government has failed to take action against them. These entities are still open — and the government even acknowledged this in its statement today.”

Arabi also repeated calls to proscribe the IRGC. “The current sanctions regime doesn’t prohibit its ability to carry out soft power activities in the UK including radicalisation—which we know they are proactively conducting. The government also knows the proscription of the IRGC is what the regime in Iran fears most. This move is long overdue — and is something Starmer promised to implement.