Iran expert brands Islamic Center of England Iran's 'UK office,' urges immediate closure

A starring Iran adept has called connected the British authorities to unopen down an Islamic halfway which helium claimed has been functioning arsenic an bureau of the regime’s ultimate person amid a shocking study that Iran’s authorities smuggled operatives into the United Kingdom.

The Islamic Center of England precocious came into the spotlight pursuing revelations that the U.K. authorities has allegedly allowed the halfway to sponsor visas for imams. The study comes astatine a clip erstwhile Iran has said Britain is simply a morganatic people if it allows the U.S. to usage its bases to alert missions against Tehran.

The reported greenish airy to imams to unafraid visas arsenic "skilled workers" for the Islamic Center raises profound questions astir unsafe gaps successful Britain’s nationalist information and migration policies, according to lawmakers and Mideast experts.

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A Google maps photograph showing The Islamic Center of England successful London. (Google Maps)

Kasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Research astatine United Against Nuclear Iran told Fox News Digital that, "In airy of the IRGC’s menace to onslaught Britain and reports that it has been exploiting the amerciable migrant situation to nonstop ‘Islamic revolutionary agents’ to the country, the U.K. authorities simply indispensable not tolerate the beingness of this Islamist extremist infrastructure connected British soil."

Aarabi added that "The Islamic Centre of England — a U.K.-registered foundation and mosque — has agelong been operating arsenic the bureau of the Iranian regime’s ultimate person successful the U.K.. Its Imam is the personally appointed U.K. typical of the regime’s ultimate leader. The precise information that the ultimate person of the Iranian regime, who is ordering panic plots connected British soil, has an bureau and appointed typical successful the U.K. is wholly unacceptable. In airy of the IRGC’s latest threats against Britain, the halfway should beryllium instantly unopen down and each of its non-British unit deported."

The revelation astir the Islamic Center of England comes amid a study successful the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph that Tehran officials claimed that the IRGC controls immoderate amerciable quality trafficking routes betwixt the Middle East and the English Channel.

Firefighters are seen tackling a blaze astatine Highfield Road successful the Golders Green vicinity of London, pursuing an arson onslaught connected 4 foundation ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community unpaid Ambulance Service. (PA/PA Images via Getty Images)

An Iranian authoritative told The Telegraph, "Of course, don’t hide that our equipped forces person power and tally the [smuggling] routes successful immoderate cases if they want." The authoritative warned that "At the infinitesimal we person radical close determination successful London, revolutionary radical who attraction astir the satellite and the lives of children – they hold for america to archer them what to do. We person not done that yet, but we tin easy marque London unsafe for you if we privation to."

The authoritative added, "These smuggling routes are much important and utile than the missiles for for america – we bash not request a rocket to people London, it’s easier than that."

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Fox News Digital antecedently reported successful February that the Islamic Center of England was accused of selling merchandise supporting the U.S.-designated violent movement, Hezbollah and the IRGC — besides a U.S.-classified violent entity.

The Islamic Center allegedly had stickers of precocious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps planetary violent Qassem Soleimani, who was liable for the murders of implicit 600 U.S. subject personnel, according to the Trump administration. President Trump ordered a drone onslaught successful January 2020 that killed Soleimani successful Iraq.

A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Home Office — a  mix of the Department of Homeland Security and DOJ — told Fox News Digital, "The Islamic Center of England has not sponsored immoderate workers since 2022 nether the erstwhile government, and the Charity Commission is presently investigating this organization."

Mojtaba Khamenei, the caller ultimate person of Iran and 2nd lad of the precocious Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a gathering successful Tehran, Iran, connected Oct. 13, 2024. (Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/WANA/Reuters)

The Home Office spokesperson continued, "We dainty the menace posed by the Iranian authorities and those who bash its bidding with the utmost seriousness. That’s wherefore we person fast-tracked a alteration successful the instrumentality to outlaw enactment for the IRGC, equipping the constabulary and quality work with much powers to disrupt those moving connected their behalf, and making it easier to prosecute them. If wrongdoing is uncovered, those liable volition look the afloat unit of the law, with the anticipation of lengthy situation sentences, nonaccomplishment of licenses, and further civilian action."

Iran and its main strategical ally, Hezbollah, person been blamed for bombing the U.S. Embassy successful Beirut successful 1983 successful which 63 people, including 17 Americans, were murdered, and dual termination motortruck bombers blew up the barracks of American and French members of a multinational unit successful Lebanon successful 1983, successful which 220 U.S. Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors and 3 U.S. Army soldiers mislaid their lives. Fifty-eight French troops were besides murdered successful the violent attack.

Critics person agelong urged the British authorities to propulsion the plug connected the Islamic Center’s cognition arsenic unit mounts connected the caller Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to enactment against Iranian authorities apparatus successful the country.

Aarabi said that "Burnham’s authorities should usage each disposable tools — including the caller designation of the IRGC nether the National Security (State Threats) Act — to dismantle this Islamist extremist apparatus crossed Britain that is linked to the IRGC. To enactment it much clearly: each the charities, mosques and centers that person carried retired IRGC-linked enactment should beryllium dismantled, and their non-British unit deported immediately. No ifs oregon buts."

He added "The Imam of the center, who is the typical of the Ayatollah successful the U.K., has continuously expressed extremist views that are sympathetic to the IRGC. In spite of this, not lone does helium proceed to reside successful the U.K. but helium is listed arsenic the trustee of respective charities successful Britain. This idiosyncratic does not clasp a diplomatic passport, meaning his visa could beryllium instantly revoked."

Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked vas during associated drills astatine the Port of Bandar Abbas successful Hormozgan, Iran, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Aarabi argued that the "IRGC has built an full ‘soft power’ infrastructure crossed Britain nether the guise of charities, mosques and colleges. The IRGC’s extremity has been to usage this infrastructure to nurture home-grown Islamist radicalization, coercion and acts of violence. In doing so, it has successfully cultivated, wrong segments of the British Muslim community, what tin lone beryllium described arsenic an Islamist constituency that is loyal to it and its convulsive extremist ideology. These tactics mimic ISIS and al Qaeda — yet determination has been nary effort to antagonistic it by the British government."

Iranian agents person attacked Iranian dissidents implicit the years successful Britain. Two Romanian nationals, who prosecutors said had been acting ​for Iran, were jailed this period for stabbing a writer moving for an autarkic Iranian quality outlet Iran International successful London.

Tehran has ever denied engagement successful specified attacks, calling allegations ​to the contrary unfounded and politically motivated.

"If the IRGC seeks to onslaught Britain, it could activate this radicalized Islamist constituency for acts of home-grown unit and terror. This signifier of kind-actor terror, wherever a radicalized extremist carries retired an onslaught due to the fact that they’re ideologically inspired alternatively than paid oregon directed by Tehran, besides provides the IRGC with capable plausible deniability to complicate attribution and trim the likelihood of British retaliation," said Aarabi.

A protester waves a emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the objection successful Millbank. Thousands of radical marched to the U.S. embassy successful protestation against the U.S. and Israel's warfare against Iran. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the Islamic Center of England told Fox News Digital, "The Islamic Center of England is an autarkic registered charity, established and operating nether the laws of England and Wales. It is governed by English foundation instrumentality and regulated by the Charity Commission. It is not an authoritative bureau oregon typical of immoderate government, governmental entity, oregon individual."

The spokesperson for the Center added, "Like galore charities, religion organizations and different eligible institutions successful the U.K., the Center holds a Home Office sponsor license, which allows it to sponsor skilled workers wherever it meets the requirements of the U.K.'s migration system."

The spokesperson concluded, "Sponsor licenses are granted and overseen by the Home Office, and each licensed sponsors are required to comply with the aforesaid ineligible and regulatory obligations. The Center has consistently maintained that it is an autarkic U.K. foundation and carries retired its activities successful accordance with U.K. instrumentality and its charitable objectives."

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The British Prime Minister’s property bureau referred Fox News Digital to the Home Office for comments.

Reuters contributed to this report.