Netanyahu to visit London to discuss Iran, IRGC terror designation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to fly to London at the end of next week to discuss Iran, for what will be his fourth trip to Europe since taking office almost three months ago.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is also set to visit London, meeting on Tuesday with his British counterpart James Cleverly.

Netanyahu is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, for what will be their first face-to-face conversation, during which he is likely to press the United Kingdom.

It follows trips he took to France, Italy and Germany in hopes of securing their support to prevent Iran, which has now reportedly enriched uranium up to 84%, from becoming a nuclear threshold state given that weapons-grade uranium enrichment is 90%. 

Is the UK for designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization?

Netanyahu also seeks to sway those countries to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror entity, something which none of the countries have agreed to. Earlier this year the British House of Commons called on its government to label IRGC as a terror group, particularly in light of Iran’s violent crackdown on street protesters.

Downing Street, however, has yet to take action on the matter. In parliament this week, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the UK “will continue to hold the Iranian regime, including the IRGC, to account for its repression.

“We have imposed sanctions on the individuals involved in the repression of women in Iran, and we continue to sanction the IRGC in its entirety," Cleverly said.

“The IRGC is already sanctioned in its entirety. Where it is involved in illegal activity, our security forces and police take action,” he explained.

The government does “not routinely discuss future designations and sanctions, but we will always take actions that protect the British people and British interests and that deter malign activity,” Cleverly added.