UK Court Convicts Two Iranian Men of Spying on Iran International Journalists

The update

A London court has convicted two Iranian men of spying for Iran on journalists in Britain. Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were found guilty on Thursday at Woolwich Crown Court of conduct likely to assist Iran’s intelligence service. Sepahvand was also convicted of preparatory conduct, while Manesh was cleared of that charge. A third man, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was acquitted of all charges. Both men will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on December 17.

Today's top briefs

Trump to Meet Xi and Putin in Shenzhen on November 19 for First Three-Way Nuclear Arms Talks FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop, Delaying or Canceling Nearly 7,000 Flights Tanker Hits Docked American Heritage Cruise Ship in New Orleans, Rescue Under Way Qatar and Turkiye Sign Mutual Defence Agreement in Istanbul Ukraine Fires Nearly 1,200 Drones at Russia in One of War’s Biggest Barrages

Why it matters

The targets included Iran International journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini and Jonathan Turner, a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel. Prosecutors said the pair visited addresses linked to their targets, took photos and videos and used ChatGPT to research them online. Britain designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a threat to national security in July, with penalties of up to 14 years for assisting it. Police said this was the fourth case in recent years involving direct threats to Iranian journalists in the UK.

What to watch

Counter-terrorism officials said the threat from hostile states in Britain is increasing and that Iran is using proxies. Iran’s government has repeatedly denied the allegations. Sentencing on December 17 will show the penalties imposed.

Sources

• theguardian.com — the verdicts, the targets and the surveillance and attack planning
• aljazeera.com — the convictions, the acquittal, the December 17 sentencing and police reaction

Related coverage

IAEA Urges Iran to Restore Nuclear Inspections and Warns Over Unvisited Isfahan Plant Trump Says US Does Not Need an Iran Deal and Redirects Vance to Domestic Fraud Effort US Treasury Secretary Bessent Moves to Military Base After Iranian Threats