Iran on Sunday declared Britain’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force “terrorist organizations” and designated the MI6 intelligence agency a “hostile group,” according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the measures were retaliation for London’s part in what it described as the “U.S.-Israeli war of aggression” against the Islamic Republic.
The ministry also cited Britain’s July 13 decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under its National Security (State Threats) Act 2026.
It claimed the United Kingdom had provided “military and logistical facilities and bases” in territories under its jurisdiction to support the war.
MI6 was listed under an Iranian espionage law that bans cooperation with “the Zionist regime,” meaning Israel, and other “hostile countries.” The navy and air force were designated under legislation passed to counter the U.S. designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
The ministry claimed the steps were taken “within the framework of the principle of reciprocity” and warned the British government that it would bear responsibility for the consequences.
