Government Statement
Today, I am making a statement on the growing threat to the UK from Iran. The regime has become increasingly emboldened and is asserting itself more aggressively to advance its objectives and undermine ours. Since the start of 2022, the UK has responded to 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents. These threats are unacceptable and must be defended against at every turn. To tackle this threat, we will place the whole of the Iranian state on the enhanced tier of the new foreign influence registration scheme (FIRS). This action will mean that those who are directed by Iran to conduct activities in the UK, such as criminal proxies, must register their actions or face five years in prison. The Home Office will lay regulations before Parliament as soon as possible with a view to having the scheme up and running by the summer. Additionally, we are going further at home by providing training and guidance on state threats activity offered by counter-terrorism policing to all 45 territorial police forces across the UK. We are also exploring new ways to enforce our robust immigration rules to specifically address threats from Iran.