Iran Designates British Navy and Air Force as Terrorist Organizations

Tehran, MINA – Iran designated Britain’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organizations and its foreign intelligence agency MI6 as a hostile group on Sunday, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement carried by state-run news agency IRNA, the ministry said the move came in response to London’s malicious actions, particularly its designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

The ministry said the decision was taken under a resolution by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and followed the UK’s designation of the IRGC under the State Threats Act 2026 on July 13.

Tehran also accused London of participating in the US Israeli war against Iran by providing access to military and logistical bases and facilities under British jurisdiction.

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The tit for tat designation marks a sharp deterioration in Iran UK relations and reflects the broader regional conflict that has drawn in multiple powers. Tensions in the Middle East have remained high since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region.

Despite subsequent diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, tensions have persisted over security arrangements and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil trade, has been the site of repeated incidents, including reports that a fourth oil tanker struck a mine and caught fire.

Iran’s retaliatory posture has been extensive. The IRGC has claimed strikes on US air bases in the region, including facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and has dismissed US claims of backchannel talks as lies. The designation of British military branches and MI6 represents a further institutionalization of hostilities, extending the confrontation beyond the US and Israel to a key NATO ally.

The UK’s decision to proscribe the IRGC under the State Threats Act 2026 in July set the legal groundwork for Tehran’s response, and Iran’s framing of Britain as a participant in the war through base access underscores how allied infrastructure has become entangled in the conflict.

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The move carries risks for British nationals and dual citizens in Iran, and for any remaining diplomatic channels between London and Tehran. It also complicates efforts by European states to position themselves as neutral mediators, a role that has become increasingly difficult as military cooperation with the US and Israel is weighed against diplomatic engagement with Iran.

The designation came as regional tensions continued to flare on other fronts, including Qatar’s condemnation of an attack on an LNG tanker in the Gulf and warnings over threats to global energy supplies, as well as continued Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire and Israel’s operations in southern Lebanon and the occupied West Bank.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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