LONDON – British police have charged three Iranian men with offences under the National Security Act as part of a major counter-terrorism investigation. The men are accused of activities likely to support a foreign intelligence service, specifically Iran.
The suspects — Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55 — appeared in a London court on Saturday. They were remanded in custody and are set to appear again at the Central Criminal Court on June 6.
According to police, the men engaged in surveillance and planned acts of serious violence between August 2024 and February 2025. The court also heard that their targets included journalists working with Iran International, a UK-based news outlet critical of the Iranian government.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper condemned the alleged Iranian-backed activities and said Britain would take “separate action” to address the threat. She emphasized that the UK will not tolerate growing state-sponsored threats on its soil and will strengthen national security measures.
Sepahvand reportedly entered the UK in 2016 hidden in a lorry, while the other two men allegedly arrived via irregular routes, including small boats across the English Channel. Their arrests are part of one of the biggest UK counter-espionage investigations in recent years.
British intelligence officials have warned of rising threats linked to Iran. Since 2022, at least 20 plots allegedly backed by Tehran have been disrupted. In response, the UK has placed Iran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register, increasing oversight of its political activities within the country.