International Desk: Iran has officially designated the UK’s intelligence agency, MI6, as a “hostile group” and classified its naval forces (Royal Navy) and air force (Royal Air Force – RAF) as “terrorist organizations.” Tehran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the decision on Sunday (November 1, 2026), stating it was a countermeasure against London’s “hostile” and unlawful activities. According to the statement from Tehran, the decision takes effect immediately, based on a resolution passed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council in response to various actions taken by the UK against Iranian national interests over the past year.
In its statement, Tehran alleged that the UK has been directly participating in the military aggression imposed on Iran by the United States and Israel since February 28 of this year. Specifically, Iran accused London of becoming a partner in the conflict by allowing the use of various military and logistical bases under British jurisdiction.
Furthermore, Tehran framed this legal and diplomatic countermeasure as a direct response to the UK’s decision on July 13 to blacklist Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under its new ‘State Threats Act 2026’. Iran’s Foreign Ministry noted that the blacklisting of the British naval and air forces was executed under Iran’s own domestic countermeasure laws, which were originally enacted to counter the US designation of the IRGC as a terrorist group.
Earlier in July, when the UK blacklisted the IRGC under its new national security legislation, London announced that anyone in the UK found supporting or assisting the IRGC could face up to 14 years in prison. Experts suggest that amid the ongoing intense military tensions in the Middle East, Tehran’s reciprocal declaration is set to push diplomatic relations between the UK and Iran into an unprecedented crisis.
