The Telegraph reports that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is smuggling undercover agents into the UK hidden among migrants crossing the English Channel, with human smugglers saying migrants are offered entry in exchange for performing future tasks for Iran. The report, based on smugglers and Iranian officials, adds that the IRGC's Quds Force Unit 700 handles logistics. The UK has previously designated the IRGC as a national security threat.
The Telegraph report, published Saturday evening, details a scheme in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) embeds agents among migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. Human smugglers operating in Europe told the paper that the Iranian regime assists migrants residing in Calais, France, to reach the UK in exchange for a 'favor' they will be required to perform for Iran after settling in England. The report links the operation to the IRGC's Quds Force Unit 700, which handles logistics.
Earlier Saturday evening (19:34 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported on the initial Telegraph story. The new details highlight the quid-pro-quo element, suggesting the IRGC leverages migrant routes to infiltrate operatives under the guise of asylum seekers. The UK government designated the IRGC as a threat to national security in July, making support for the organization a criminal offense.
The report is based on unnamed smugglers and Iranian officials, and The Zioneer has not independently verified the claims. The Telegraph's allegations come amid heightened scrutiny of Iranian covert activities in Europe.
3 developments
- StrongIran's intelligence ministry arrests suspect for allegedly leaking classified data to the US
- DevelopingTelegraph: Iran infiltrates secret agents into UK under guise of migrants, IRGC awaits orders
- DevelopingUS, UK, and European allies condemn Iran's IRGC intelligence, Quds Force, and intelligence ministry
- DevelopingIRGC-affiliated agency reports senior official eliminated in Bandar Abbas
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Open-source intake