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Calls for Western Government to Designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Terrorist Organisation London 7th Feb 2020

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change published a report on Tuesday 4th February calling for the UK and other Western governments to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization.
The report, Beyond Borders: the Expansionist Ideology of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,
Points out that IRGC is mandated d by Iran’s constitution to pursue “an ideological mission of jihad in God’s way; that is extending sovereignty of God’s law throughout the world.” It details the IRGC’s links to a long list of “terrorist attacks, hostage-takings, maritime piracy, political assassinations, human rights violations and the crushing of domestic dissent across Iran”.
The report lays out the recruitment propaganda that IRGC deploys in pursuing Iran’s expansionist ambitions beyond its borders.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, USA on the day the report was released, the former British prime minister, warned the UK and other western governments of threat that IRGC poses to regional and international security. “The IRGC uses the classic tactics of terrorist groups, including orchestrating suicide bombings and the targeting of civilians. And in the last few years there has been a surge of activity on European soil,” Blair said.
He highlighted the findings of his institute’s report saying: “my institute’s research into the IRGC’s own recruitment tools shows that it advocates just as destructive and violent a world view as groups that have already been designated as terrorist organisations. We should recognise the threat they pose formally.”
The report warns of the often-overlooked dangers of Shi’ite extremism with analyst and experts generally preoccupied by the threat of Sunni Islamic extremism, pointing out how Western policymakers have underestimated Iran’s commitment to upholding and exporting 1979’s revolutionary ideology.
The report explains how “material support for destabilising forces is just one weapon in Iran’s armoury” and that “it is the entrenchment of a dogma, levelled against perceived enemies of Islam, that has been Iran’s most potent resource.”
Highlighting the threat that Iran’s malign behaviour poses beyond its regional neighbourhood, the reports points out how “it has claimed lives not only in intractable conflicts in the region, such as in Syria, Yemen and Lebanon, where Hizbullah changed the face of the country, but also as far afield as Bulgaria and Argentina.”
The report concludes the following key findings:
- IRGC officers and members are trained in state-sanctioned Shia Islamist ideology, which is violent and extremist.
- The IRGC has clear expansionist ambitions.
- The IRGC shares the same enemies as Salafi-jihadi groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.
- The IRGC lays out for recruits what it fights for not just what it fights against.
The report sets out policy recommendations and actions for governments and supranational organisations, Western countering violent extremism (CVE) strategies and civil society groups and technology companies. Most notably, it points out that “systematic rebuttals targeting Salafi-jihadism plays into the hands of Shia Islamist groups including the IRGC, leaving them with a moralistic monopoly as their perspectives are not countered.”
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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