Iran’s execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari is the latest in a series of displays of the Iran regime’s rogue behaviour and proves why Britain needs to proscribe the IRGC. Akbari admitted spying on Iran’s nuclear programme for the UK’s intelligence service, MI6, in a video-tape which appears to be heavily edited. An audio message by BBC Persian hears Akbari mentioning that he has been tortured and forced into confessing.
Iran’s regime has increased its public executions since public anger erupted over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police back in September. As of today, four protesters have been executed so far and thousands have been imprisoned.
The UK government and other Western countries responded in their typical manner, with harsh words, condemnations and recalling of the Iranian ambassador. This is simply not enough anymore. It is about time that the West drop all pretence of thinking that the Iranian regime is a responsible and civilised country. Iran’s leaders have proved the extent that they are willing to go to end the almost daily protests since September. The country does not deserve any relief from sanctions, Obama’s carrot-and-stick policy with Iran’s leaders did not achieve anything, and Iran is enriching more uranium than ever before despite paying lip service that they did not intend to enrich uranium nor build any nuclear weapons. Iran’s regime should not be appeased.
Britain needs to start by proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation would be a start. The US has only recently done this in 2019 and whilst there are reports circulating that Tom Tugendhat, the UK Security Minister, and Suella Braverman, the UK’s Home Secretary, are in favour of officially classifying Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization it needs to be done rather than sooner. The UK can no longer dither, the IRGC has plotted mass casualty terrorist groups all around the world and is a threat to peace and democracy worldwide. Iran’s regime is inhumane and we should not be polite or quiet about promoting change. The Iranian embassy in London remains open and the regime’s followers continue to operate in the UK. This is not ok.
If the British government is serious about supporting Iran’s uprising it should begin by cracking down on the Iranian regime’s activities in the UK and send all Iranian diplomats back home as well as proscribing the IRGC once and for all. Iranians fleeing for their lives need to be supported until they are able to return home and rebuild their lives. Pressure needs to be maintained on this theocratic dystopian nightmare of a state.
Image Credit: Reuters | Wana News Agency
