New powers will be drawn up to tackle threats from hostile states, the Home Secretary has announced, after three Iranian nationals were charged with spying offences.
Yvette Cooper addressed MPs on a “series of grave wider issues” for national security on Monday as the defendants were charged with spying offences in relation to Iran.
The Home Office will introduce new laws that will allow the UK to proscribe state-based groups such as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and create criminal offences, following recommendations by terror watchdog Jonathan Hall KC.
“The Iranian regime poses an unacceptable threat to our domestic security which cannot continue,” Ms Cooper said.
“But we need to go further in strengthening our powers to address national security threats.
“We will draw up new powers, modelled on counter-terrorism powers, in a series of areas to tackle those state threats.”
Ms Cooper said the new legislation will cover state-based threats rather than terrorist organisations, which would be tougher than the current National Security Act.
In a review of terrorism and state threat legislation published on Monday, Mr Hall concluded that the Terrorism Act 2000 was never intended to regulate the behaviour of state actors, and said looking at that law as a way to proscribe state bodies is “quite simply shopping in the wrong department”.
Instead, he recommended for a notice to be issued against state actors or private entities acting as foreign intelligence services under the National Security Act 2023 as a way to “name and shame” on the international stage.
He said: “It is also a threat to that entity, putting it on notice that its operations, and its minions and influence networks, are at greater risk of executive action, by way of arrest and prosecution, or deportation, or other forms of disruption, from UK authorities.”
Mr Hall also recommended further criminal offences for anyone who invites support or displays signage of a foreign intelligence service subject to the notice.
Other suggestions he made – including for police to be given stop and search powers at locations which are a known state threat target, set up cordons and seize passports, similar to in terrorism cases – are also being reviewed by the Government.
But shadow home secretary Chris Philp pressed in the Commons as to why the IRGC had not already been proscribed, while Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice urged for the Home Secretary not to “kick the can down the road”.
But Ms Cooper replied that Mr Hall found legal difficulties in using current laws to do so, adding: “It’s important that any legislation we apply is actually effective and doesn’t unravel.”
The move comes as Tehran’s ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign Office after the three Iranian nationals were charged with spying offences.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged with offences under the National Security Act.
They are all charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist the Iranian foreign intelligence service between August 14 2024 and February 16 2025.
On Monday, a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: “Today, upon instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Kingdom was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
“The UK Government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions.”
On Sunday, Iran summoned the British charge d’affaires in protest at what officials described as the “illegal and unjustified” detention of the country’s nationals.
Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported that Tehran said the detention was a violation of international law and politically motivated.
The three men all arrived in the UK by irregular means, including by small boats and a lorry, between 2016 and 2022, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
Sepahvand is also charged with engaging in surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research, intending to commit acts, namely serious violence against a person in the UK.
Manesh and Noori are further charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance, with the intention that acts, namely serious violence against a person in the UK, would be committed by others.
The trio will next appear for a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on June 6.
