Officials at Iran’s embassy in London have called on Iranian residents in the UK to register for the ‘Jan Fada’ program, which translates to ‘sacrificing life,’ prompting serious national security concerns.
The Embassy’s Call to Action
The consulate shared a message on its official Telegram channel in Farsi, inviting ‘proud Iranian compatriots residing in Britain’ and ‘all brave and noble children of Iran’ who possess a ‘desire for the people’s defence of the land of Iran’ to sign up. The post emphasizes solidarity, loyalty, and national zeal. A particularly stark line states: ‘Let us all, to a man, give our bodies to be slain; For it is better than giving our country to the enemy.’
The Jan Fada campaign launched last month, and an embassy spokesman maintains that it ‘does not promote any form of hostility.’
Expert Warnings on Security Risks
Roger Macmillan, former director of security at Iran International, a UK-based dissident news channel, describes the initiative as ‘horrific’ on UK soil. He views it as an online radicalization effort targeting individuals who might commit acts in support of the Islamic Republic within the UK.
‘This is a significant threat to security and of our whole way of life,’ Macmillan states. ‘It is a way of finding out who is supportive of the regime. They are not going to go back to Iran, it is for here in the UK.’ He adds that the regime seeks not only Iranians but also potential sympathizers, calling it ‘the Russian playbook on steroids.’
Dr. Nadeh Fallah from the Iranian Human Rights & Allies group labels this a wake-up call for Britain to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). He asserts that the IRGC actively seeks to radicalize, recruit, and exert influence on British soil.
‘This is utterly unacceptable and deeply alarming,’ Dr. Fallah says. ‘This kind of messaging is not benign. It is designed to appeal to the most hardline, ideologically driven individuals and to encourage a dangerous culture of fanaticism and martyrdom. That should concern every policymaker and every security agency in this country.’
Registration Process and Broader Context
Potential participants are directed to the Iranian Foreign Ministry website, where they register via the Mikhak system—a platform used for official consular services like passports, ID cards, marriages, births, and property sales.
Similar recruitment efforts from Iran’s Sydney embassy are under investigation by Australian police. In the UK, concerns heighten amid probes into possible Iranian links to an attack on Jewish ambulances in London last month. Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, met Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi prior to his posting.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged in last week’s King’s Speech to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, aligning Britain with the US and Canada. Legislation remains pending despite evidence of Iran’s role in attacks on the Jewish community and dissidents.
The Iranian-linked group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) claimed responsibility for an arson attack on Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London, last weekend—the fifth such incident in a week. UK intelligence services examine HAYI’s ties to Iran.
Embassy Response
A spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in London explains: ‘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. Any claims or assumptions to the contrary are simply unfounded. Such biased judgments are made hastily and without proper understanding.’
