Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP references the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' activities as a terrorist entity.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is the terrorism export wing of the despotic regime in Tehran. Why are we not joining the Americans in proscribing this organisation when we did proscribe the Wagner organisation in Russia? Is it possibly because the Americans are pressuring us to continue our tenuous diplomatic links with Tehran?
I remind the hon. Gentleman that on 4 March the UK specified Iran under the foreign influence registration scheme, which targets those who undertake malign activity in the UK. Of course we keep proscription under review. We are looking closely at the area of state threats; that is traditionally very different from the sorts of cells and terrorist communities that we do proscribe. That is why the Government continue to look at this area very carefully.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific request about proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was not directly addressed with a commitment to do so or an explanation of why it has not been done.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP asks about the outcome the UK would consider a success in current US-Iran nuclear negotiations.
Our United Kingdom and the United States are aligned in the view that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a serious threat to global stability. With nuclear negotiations currently under way between the US and Iran, can the Secretary of State inform the House what outcome his Department would consider to be a success from a British perspective? Crucially, does he have a contingency plan if those talks fail to produce an acceptable result?
Iran is now producing roughly one significant quantity of highly enriched uranium every six weeks. That is 40 times above the limit in the joint comprehensive plan of action—the deal that we struck with Iran, which I have in front of me.[Official Report, 15 May 2025; Vol. 767, c. 7WC.] (Correction) I am really crystal clear about this. Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon; it must reverse its escalations—we have seen that in its enrichment programme; it must not carry out any critical weaponisation work; and these terms have to be fully verifiable. Unless we get that, we will see a snapback of the sanctions regime that we struck with it 10 years ago.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific request about defining success in negotiations was not directly addressed, and there is no clear statement on having a contingency plan if talks fail.
Response accuracy