Crack down on Iran-backed charities in Britain, Blunkett urges Labour

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Former home secretary calls for dismantling of networks that advance Tehran’s objectives and banning of IRGC’s overseas arm.

Sir Keir Starmer must tighten curbs on Iranian-backed student groups, cultural centres and charities, a former Labour home secretary has said.

Lord Blunkett said the Government should order an operation to “identify and dismantle” organisations linked to Tehran which “advance the regime’s objectives”.

Writing for The Telegraph, he also challenged Sir Keir to follow “immediately” other Western allies by proscribing the Iranian state’s overseas terrorist arm.

Mr Blunkett intervened amid mounting international criticism of the Prime Minister’s “weak” response to the crisis in Iran and his refusal to back US-Israeli air strikes.

The Telegraph revealed on Tuesday how more than a dozen student groups have shared social media posts mourning the death of Ali Khamenei, the former ayatollah.

Students from Manchester were among a crowd of up to 100 people who gathered for a “candlelight vigil” to mark Khamenei’s death on Wednesday night.

There are also concerns over Tehran’s growing influence in the UK, which it wields through state-backed cultural centres and educational networks.

Last year, a US-based group that supports a secular and democratic Iran said the state was using such organisations to “radicalise the pre-existing diaspora”.

Iran has been placed on the “enhanced tier” of the new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, meaning that anyone carrying out activities on the instruction of Tehran has to register with the authorities or face up to five years in jail.

Ministers have also revealed that MI5 has foiled 20 Iran-backed terror plots in Britain since the start of 2022, including ones against UK-based opponents of the regime.

Lord Blunkett said: “We should expand protective measures for targets of the Iranian regime in the UK, including dissidents and the Jewish community, enforce the new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, and identify and dismantle soft influence networks that advance the regime’s objectives under the cover of cultural, academic, charitable or media activity.”