Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Security Act 2023 (Foreign Activities and Foreign Influence Registration Scheme: Specified Persons) (Iran) Regulations 2025.

(2) They come into force on the day on which Part 4 of the 2023 Act (foreign activities and foreign influence registration scheme) comes fully into force.

(3) They extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

(4) In these Regulations—

“ the 2023 Act ” means the National Security Act 2023 ;

“ commencement date ” means the date on which these Regulations come into force.

Specified persons

2. The foreign powers listed in Part 1 of the Schedule, and the other persons listed in Part 2 of the Schedule, are specified persons.

Pre-commencement arrangements

3.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) prior to the commencement date, P makes a foreign activity arrangement with a foreign power or other person specified in regulation 2 (“the arrangement”), and

(b)the arrangement continues to have effect on the commencement date.

(2) Section 65(4) of the 2023 Act applies in respect of the arrangement as if, for “before the end of the period of 10 days beginning with the day on which P makes the arrangement” there were substituted “before the end of the period of three months beginning with the commencement date” .

(3) During the period of three months beginning with the commencement date, the offences under section 67(2) and (3) of the 2023 Act (offence of carrying out etc. relevant activities pursuant to unregistered foreign activity arrangement) do not apply in relation to a relevant activity carried out, or arranged to be carried out, pursuant to the arrangement.

Review

4.—(1) The Secretary of State must from time to time—

(a)carry out a review of the regulatory provision contained in these Regulations, and

(b)publish a report setting out the conclusions of the review.

(2) The first report must be published before the end of the period of 5 years beginning with the commencement date.

(3) Subsequent reports must be published at intervals not exceeding 5 years.

(4) Section 30(4) of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 ( 3 ) (“ the 2015 Act ”) requires that a report published under this regulation must, in particular—

(a)set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the regulatory provision referred to in paragraph (1)(a) of this regulation,

(b)assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved,

(c)assess whether those objectives remain appropriate, and

(d)if those objectives remain appropriate, assess the extent to which they could be achieved in another way which involves less onerous regulatory provision.

(5) In this regulation, “ regulatory provision ” has the same meaning as in sections 28 to 32 of the 2015 Act (see section 32 of that Act ).

Regulation 2

Schedule Specified Persons

Part 1 Foreign powers

1. The Supreme Leader of Iran in their public capacity.

2. The Government of Iran (including any part of that government) and all of its agencies and authorities, including—

(a)Supreme Leader’s Office;

(b)Assembly of Experts;

(c)the President (in that capacity);

(d)Office of the President;

(e)Guardian Council;

(f)all Ministers (in that capacity);

(g)all Ministries (including the Ministry of Intelligence and Security);

(h)Expediency Council;

(i)the armed forces, including—

(i)Artesh,

(ii)Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps;

(j)Supreme National Security Council (including all sub-committees);

(k)any other intelligence service;

(l)all police forces.

Part 2 Persons controlled by a foreign power

3. Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran.

4. The judiciary of Iran.