(North Antrim)
(DUP): Operation Arbacia has exposed international terror links
running from Iran to Ireland and from Hezbollahto
the Real IRA. When will the Government be in a position to
proscribe the framework operation of that organisation—namely, the
Muslim Brotherhood—here in the United Kingdom, and when will they
be able to put that organisation out of business?
The Secretary of State for Defence (
): Hezbollah is proscribed—the
political wing as well as the military wing. Real, New and
Continuity IRA, and all the other dissident republican groups,
are also proscribed. The point that the hon. Gentleman really
highlights is that the malign activity of Iran has not stopped.
People who think that that does not get back to us on our streets
should look at that latest operation, which showed New IRA
reaching out in Lebanon or working with
Hezbollah and other actors potentially aligned
to Iran to potentially inflict murder and death on these streets,
either here or in Northern Ireland. We should not forget that.
Old habits die hard. These people are now potentially subject to
judicial trial, and I cannot do anything to threaten that, but we
should point to the facts that he highlights and show that our
adversaries link up around the world.
(Harrow East)
(Con) [V]: What else for Defence questions, Mr Speaker? My right
hon. Friend has previously referred to Iran’s nefarious use of
power via the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including
Hezbollah and the harassment of UK shipping in
the strait of Hormuz. Does he agree that unless its influence is
curtailed, the IRGC will continue to be a major threat to the
safety and security of British forces, and will he address that
in the upcoming integrated review? [906310]
Mr Wallace: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out the
malign activity of the Iran state in using both proxies and,
indeed, the IRGC directly either to harass shipping going about
its lawful business or to enable terrorist groups in the region.
It does not help any of the peace we seek in that region; nor
does it help Iran to join the table of civilised nations, which
it aspires to join. The IR will look exactly at those things—at
threat; defined around threat—whether that is Iranian malign
activity, Russian activity on Europe’s borders or, indeed,
terrorist threats around the world. It is important that that
leads the review. That is what I have committed to, and right in
the middle of that will be Iran and the IRGC.
