IRGC's Illicit Oil Trade: Funding Terrorism and Divergence in US-UK Policy

US vs. UK Stance on Iran and the IRGC

• 🇺🇸 The US has taken a significantly tougher stance on Iran, designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and sanctioning nearly 500 Iranian-linked entities.
• 🇬🇧 In contrast, the UK has not yet designated the IRGC and has a smaller number of sanctioned entities, reflecting a residual view within the Foreign Office that engagement with the Iranian regime is possible.
• 🎯 MI5 has disrupted 20 Iran-backed plots in the UK, highlighting the menace posed by Iranian agents to national security.

The IRGC: More Than Just an Army

• 🎭 The IRGC is described as a sophisticated and developed terrorist entity operating with full state sanction and protection, acting as the nerve center for funding and planning terrorist attacks globally.
• ⚠️ Its behavior clearly indicates it should be designated, but the UK has clung to the idea that calling them out will break potential partnership, a notion now shown to be a fallacy.
• 💡 The IRGC generates vast funding, particularly through an illicit oil trade, which fuels its global operations and terrorism.

Tackling the Funding of Terrorism

• 💰 The US has sanctioned ten times more Iranian-linked entities and individuals than the UK, indicating a more proactive approach to stopping the IRGC's activities.
• 🚢 The IRGC operates a vast network involving a shadow economy and a shadow fleet of ships, using shell companies and off-the-map tankers to conduct illicit oil trade.
• 🤝 The UK should be in lockstep with the US in cracking down on these entities, sanctioning more of them to curb the funding of terrorism and threats to British and Iranian citizens.

Gaza Conflict and International Relations

• 🌍 The discussion shifts to the Gaza conflict, with skepticism about the effectiveness of a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, which is viewed as an insurgency rather than just a military force.
• 🕊️ There's a call for more pressure on Israel for a negotiated settlement and concern that current operations may not bring the war to an end, potentially disrupting peace talks.
• humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with millions displaced and suffering severe deprivation, is described as unbearable, regardless of the terminology used.
• 🤝 While the US and UK may differ on recognizing a Palestinian state, common ground can be found in addressing the dire humanitarian conditions.