The U.K. government is choosing not to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, despite calls from the Labour Party and some Conservative MPs. The primary concern is that such a designation would strain diplomatic relations with Iran, potentially leading to mutual expulsion of diplomats and compromising back-channel efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, particularly amid Iran's involvement in regional conflicts via proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah. Professor Sanam Vakil said proscribing a key part of Iran's military could backfire by “further empower[ing] the IRGC within the Iranian system.”