British authorities have uncovered an Iranian intelligence operation involving detailed surveillance of journalists and other individuals in London, with investigators warning that the activities could have led to serious violence.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court following a six-week trial. Both were found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the UK’s National Security Act 2023. Sepahvand was additionally convicted of preparing acts of serious violence against an individual in Britain.
The operation ran from August 2024 to March 2025 and targeted two journalists employed by Iran International, a lawyer associated with UK Lawyers for Israel, and a media production professional. Prosecutors established that the defendants gathered intelligence for contacts linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Investigators discovered extensive surveillance material on the defendants’ mobile devices. The information included photographs of targets, workplace addresses, vehicle descriptions, and even the names of their pets. Officers also recovered communications documenting instructions and exchanges with contacts in Iran.
Counterterrorism specialists examined approximately 534GB of digital evidence, including photographs, videos, messages, and voice recordings. Thousands of communications in Farsi required translation, while mobile network location records helped investigators establish where surveillance activities had occurred.
Sepahvand coordinated the operation and passed instructions to Manesh. According to prosecutors, he was promised £150,000 and assistance resolving a previous theft conviction in Iran. In communications with an Iranian contact, he discussed the possibility of killing one of the targets in exchange for payment.
During proceedings, Sepahvand acknowledged conducting surveillance for the IRGC but maintained that he had acted under pressure. Manesh claimed that photographs taken during the operation were connected to his search for a new residence.
Police arrested both men on May 3, 2025, alongside a third suspect, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57. Noori was subsequently acquitted of all charges. Manesh was also acquitted of the separate allegation that his surveillance was intended to facilitate serious violence.
Counterterrorism officials said the arrests prevented potential attacks against individuals in Britain. They also identified the investigation as the fourth recent case involving direct threats against journalists working for Iran International.
Sepahvand and Manesh remain awaiting sentencing at London’s Central Criminal Court, scheduled for December 17, 2026.