According to a report by the Daily Mail, Tehran’s embassy in London has called on Iranians living in the UK to enlist in an official “martyrdom" initiative, raising serious national security concerns.
Consular officials published a message urging “proud Iranian compatriots residing in Britain" to join the “Jan Fada" (“sacrificing life") program. The appeal invited “brave and noble children of Iran" who seek to defend the country to register as a show of “solidarity, loyalty, and national zeal." A Farsi post on the embassy’s Telegram channel declared: “Let us all, to a man, give our bodies to be slain; for it is better than giving our country to the enemy."
The campaign, launched last month, was described by an embassy spokesman as non-hostile. However, similar recruitment efforts are under investigation in Australia, while security experts warned the Daily Mail the initiative poses a “significant" threat.
UK authorities have been approached for comment as members of the Iranian diaspora called for action. Roger Macmillan, former security director at Iran International, said the effort represents online radicalization on British soil and could encourage individuals to act in support of the regime.
He warned the campaign may target not only Iranians but also other sympathizers, calling it a troubling escalation. Dr. Nadeh Fallah of the Iranian Human Rights and Allies group described the move as “deeply alarming," urging Britain to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which he said is actively seeking to recruit and exert influence in the UK.
A spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in London said: "'Iranians around the world have always cared deeply about their homeland and the protection of its territorial integrity and they always will. 'The “Jan Fada" platform is intended for all Iranians who wish to support and defend their country, and it does not promote any form of hostility."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently pledged to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, though legislation has yet to be introduced, despite growing concerns over Iranian-linked activity in the UK.