UK charges Iranian nationals with spying, plotting violence against journalists

(Web Desk): Three Iranian nationals have been charged in the UK with allegedly assisting Iran’s foreign intelligence agency and being involved in plotting violent acts against journalists based in the UK.

The three individuals — Mostafa Sepahvand (39 years old), Farhad Javadimanesh (44 years old), and Shapour Gholleh-Ali Khani Nouri (55 years old) — have been charged under the UK’s National Security Act, which was enacted to address threats posed by foreign states.

According to the police, the alleged activities took place between August 2024 and February 2025 and are linked to Iran. Mostafa Sepahvand faces an additional charge of conducting surveillance in preparation for a serious act of violence, while Javadimanesh and Nouri are accused of carrying out surveillance on individuals expected to be involved in violent acts.

All three defendants appeared briefly via video link at London’s Old Bailey court and denied the charges through their lawyers. They were remanded in custody until a formal indictment hearing scheduled for September 26. The trial is expected to begin in October 2026.

According to the prosecution, the plot targeted journalists affiliated with "Iran International," an anti-Iranian broadcasting network based in the UK.

It is noteworthy that the arrests occurred on the same day that counter-terrorism police conducted a separate operation detaining five other individuals, four of whom were Iranian. However, they were later released without charge.