Overview

• The UK government is drafting legislation to create a Statutory Alert and Liability Threat (SALT) regime, allowing proscription of foreign intelligence agencies like the IRGC.
• Proposed measures include criminalizing 'inviting support' for banned entities, expanding stop-and-search powers, and confiscating passports of suspects.
• Individuals assisting or benefiting from proscribed agencies could face up to 14 years in prison under the new laws.
• The announcement follows recent espionage charges against Iranian suspects and convictions of Russian-linked operatives in the UK.
• Security services report a rise in state-sponsored threats, with 20 Iranian-backed plots foiled since 2022, and emphasize the need for enhanced legal tools to disrupt such activities.