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Three Iranians charged with suspected espionage in UK / Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS - AFP/File
Three Iranians charged with suspected espionage in UK
Three Iranian men appeared in a London court Saturday charged with spying for Iran's intelligence services, as the UK interior ministry said they had arrived "by irregular means including small boats".
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper vowed to boost national security powers following the charges, which come amid heightened concerns about Iranian activities on UK soil.
In October, the head of Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service revealed that since 2022 the UK had uncovered 20 Iran-backed plots posing "potentially lethal threats".
"Iran must be held to account for its actions," Cooper said.
The UK needed to "strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil", she added.
The three men were all remanded in custody following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London.
The BBC reported that the three were accused of targeting UK-based journalists working for the Farsi-language Iran International television news network, an independent media organisation based in London. Iran has labelled the outlet a terror organisation.
The Home Office said the suspects were all irregular migrants having arrived by small boat or other means, such as hidden in a vehicle, between 2016 and 2022.
They were arrested on May 3 and named as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all living in London.
The alleged spying activity took place from August 2024 to February 2025, according to police.
"These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, which have come about following what has been a very complex and fast-moving investigation," said Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter-Terrorism command.
"Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock," he added.
All three were charged with "engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025," the police said.
"The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran," the police added in their statement.
- 'State threats' -
Sepahvand was also charged with "surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research... intending to commit acts, namely serious violence against a person in the United Kingdom."
Manesh and Noori were also charged with "surveillance and reconnaissance with the intention that acts, namely serious violence against a person in the United Kingdom, would be committed by others."
A fourth man was arrested on May 9 as part of the investigation, but has now been released without charge, the police added in their statement.
The National Security Act gives law enforcement greater powers to disrupt "state threats" including foreign interference and espionage.
In March, Iran became the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which aims to boost the UK's national security against covert foreign influences.
The measures, due to come into place later this year, will mean that all people working inside the UK for Iran, its intelligence services or the Revolutionary Guard would have to register or face jail.
Five Iranian nationals were also arrested on May 3 in a separate investigation, with four of them remaining in custody after warrants of further detention were secured.
The four were arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
A fifth was bailed to an unspecified date in May.
O.Nardolillo--INP
