Iranian spies convicted over surveillance of UK journalists
Tehran had its eyes set on several high-profile targets, then the Iranian spies got caught.
The Iranian national flag. Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images
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- Two Iranian nationals were convicted of surveilling UK journalists and other targets for Iran’s IRGC.
- Police found photos, addresses, car details, pet names, and messages on the men’s mobile phones.
- Counter-terrorism officers examined 534GB of data and said the arrests prevented serious violence.
- The men will be sentenced on November 17th; a third defendant was found not guilty.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Two Iranian nationals have been found guilty of surveilling multiple people in the UK on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
After a six-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court, 41-year-old Mostafa Sepahvand and 46-year-old Farhad Manesh were found guilty of engaging in conduct likely to assist the IRGC, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and open-source research.
The targets of the surveillance were two journalists working for the media organization Iran International, a lawyer working for UK Lawyers for Israel, and a media production professional.
In messages to contacts in the IRGC, one of the convicted persons suggested “finishing off” one of their targets. According to the Metropolitan Police, he was motivated by the promise of £150,000 ($198,620) from his contacts in the IRGC. He also expected the IRGC to “fix” his conviction in Iran for theft.
The surveillance operation took place between August 2024 and March 2025. The men were arrested on May 3rd, 2025.
Investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London uncovered detailed information on the mobile phones of the men, including pictures of their targets, the addresses of where they worked, details about their cars they drove, and even the names of their pets.
Close surveillance
CPT London officers examined 534GB of data that was recovered from mobile phones, including messages, videos, images, and voice notes that revealed the criminal activities and intentions of the convicted Iranian nationals.
“It is clear the arrests of these two men by Counter Terrorism Policing (CPT) officers prevented serious violence from being inflicted on one or more individuals in the UK,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Senior National Coordinator for CPT Vicki Evans said in a statement.
Evans argues that this case reflects a pattern of Iran targeting Persian-language media in the UK, especially Iran International.
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“Indeed, this is the fourth case in recent years involving direct threat to Iran International journalists, and we are working hard to keep them safe,” she said.
Sepahvand and Manesh are due to be sentenced on November 17th.
A third defendant, 57-year-old Shapoor Noori, who was arrested along with the other two Iranian nationals, was found not guilty by the jury.
