The arrest of five Iranian nationals on terror charges across the UK has led to renewed calls by lawmakers to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Galloway traveled to Iran to attend the third edition of the Sobh International Media Festival, organized by the foreign media division of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the country's state media organization.
Organizers awarded him the "Ismail Haniyeh Prize" in recognition of his outspoken defense of Palestine and alignment with Iran-backed resistance groups.
Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, was assassinated by Israel in a bomb blast targeting his residence in Tehran last year.
"No country on the planet has worked harder than the Islamic Republic of Iran to liberate the people of Palestine from bondage, suffering and endless sacrifice. That is simply a fact," said Galloway in his address to the festival.
The former MP, now leader of the Workers Party of Britain, is no stranger to Iranian state media. He previously hosted programs on Iran’s English-language broadcaster Press TV, which is overseen by IRIB and has been sanctioned by Western governments for allegedly spreading propaganda.
Galloway has also appeared on Russian state media and was expelled from the UK Labour Party over remarks it deemed antisemitic.
In his speech, Galloway praised Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a key supporter of the Palestinian people and said Yemen was second only to Iran in providing meaningful support for their struggle.
“I thank the revolutionary people of Iran, your leadership, your heroes, and your martyrs for standing firm in support of the Palestinian people," said Galloway.
Galloway also recounted a personal story about his ties to the Palestinian cause, recalling a humanitarian convoy to Gaza. He said the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh once promised to issue him a Palestinian passport. When none were available, Haniyeh instead gave him his own—a gift Galloway described as “one of my most treasured possessions.”
The Sobh International Media Festival is part of the Iranian government’s broader effort to rally international media voices that support its regional narrative and opposition to Israel.
The event drew dozens of foreign participants, many of whom are affiliated with media outlets sympathetic to Iran’s worldview.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis told Parliament on Tuesday that the arrests marked "the first Iranian nationals arrested under the National Security Act.”
He said the Iranian state—including the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security—had previously been placed on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme.
“Anyone in the UK who works for the Iranian state must declare it or they will be committing a serious criminal offence,” he added.
The arrests, made on May 4 in London, Rochdale, Swindon, Manchester and Stockport, involved five men held under the Terrorism Act 2006 and three more under the National Security Act. Four remain in custody. Authorities believe the group was only hours away from attacking a specific location.
The Telegraph reported that at least one of the suspects is closely tied to the Islamic Republic’s leadership and comes from a prominent business family.
Jarvis said MI5 and police have responded to 20 Iran-backed plots since January 2022.
Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart criticized the government, saying, “Over recent years Members have been called to this Chamber to discuss plots to commit acts of terror on Britain’s streets at the hands of the Iranian regime—but consecutive Governments are yet to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.”
“If now is not the time for proscription, when should the House expect a further update?” she asked.
Labor’s Matt Vickers recalled the Home Secretary’s previous commitment to impose “appropriately targeted proscription-style restrictions” on state-linked entities such as the IRGC.
Labor and Co-operative MP Alex Sobel protested that he “asked many times for proscription of the IRGC, as it is certainly one of the bodies in Iran that is responsible for transnational repression,” while Labor MP Jon Pearce raised concerns that UK-based charities may be used to fund terrorism.
According to the government, a review of legal options by Jonathan Hall, an independent barrister, has been completed and will be published soon. Ministers have said they will not hesitate to act based on the findings.
Meanwhile, exiled Iranian prince Reza Pahlavi called the arrests further proof of what he calls Tehran’s global threat. “The arrest of Islamic Republic agents in the UK, on the brink of another terror attack, reinforces the need to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organization,” he wrote on X.
“This regime has proven, once again, that it will not change its behavior. It continues to spread terror not only in the Middle East but to target innocent civilians across Europe and the United States.”
