UK Court Convicts Two Iranian Nationals of Spying on London Journalists

A British court convicted two Iranian nationals on Thursday of assisting Iranian intelligence services by conducting surveillance on journalists critical of the regime in Tehran, with one of them also found guilty of planning an attack, according to Reuters.

The defendants, 41-year-old Mostafa Sepahvand and 46-year-old Farhad Javadi Manesh, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court in London under the UK National Security Act. This marks the first time Iranian nationals have been convicted under the legislation, which came into force in 2023 to counter foreign state threats.

According to the prosecution, the pair carried out surveillance operations between August 2024 and March 2025 targeting journalists working for Iran International, a Persian-language television channel critical of the Iranian leadership. Sepahvand was convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service and an offense related to plotting an attack against one or more of the targets. Javadi Manesh was convicted of assisting foreign intelligence but cleared of the second charge regarding attack preparations.

British security officials stated that Sepahvand acted under the direction of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or through intermediaries linked to Iranian intelligence. Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, warned that the case highlights the growing and persistent threat posed by Iran to the United Kingdom.

The convictions follow the suspects' arrest in May 2025, an event that drew a response from Tehran at the time. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated then that he was troubled by the arrests, while Iran has repeatedly denied any involvement in such espionage activities.