Two men convicted in London over Iranian plot targeting UK journalists

Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh carried out surveillance in an effort to inflict violence on three people Two men of Iranian origin who were hired through social media as part of a plan to “eliminate” journalists in the UK have been found guilty of engaging in conduct likely to assist Tehran’s intelligence services. Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, carried out surveillance and reconnaissance between August 2024 and March last year in an attempt to inflict violence on “subjects” in the UK. Continue reading...

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Nov 12, 2026, 15:28 UTC

Exterior of a British criminal court building in London under overcast skies, with blurred figures in the distance. — REAL NEWS HUB

A British court has convicted two Iranian nationals of aiding Tehran's intelligence agencies after they carried out surveillance on journalists and an activist based in the United Kingdom.

Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were recruited over social media platforms to track specific targets in Britain. Jurors at Woolwich Crown Court found Sepahvand guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service as well as preparatory conduct. Manesh was convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service, though the jury acquitted him of preparatory conduct. A third man, 57-year-old Shapoor Noori, was cleared of both charges.

The targets of the surveillance operation included Persian-language broadcaster Iran International journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, along with Jonathan Turner, a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel. The defendants tracked locations tied to these individuals, recorded visual footage, and deployed tools such as ChatGPT to look up personal details online.

According to prosecutors, the tracking was part of an effort by the Iranian regime to suppress criticism abroad and inflict violence on overseas opponents. The court heard that Sepahvand sought to earn £150,000 to carry out a deadly assault on Pourmohsen. In WhatsApp messages and voice notes exchanged with an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander named Amin, Sepahvand agreed to scout locations and expressed willingness to carry out violence.

The intimidation campaign had a significant impact on the targets. Hosseini, a satirist and stand-up comedian, felt forced to abandon his residence and halt his comedic performances after receiving a photo of his vehicle warning that it would detonate when started. Hosseini's relatives in Iran faced intimidation as well, prompting them to leave the nation.

Sepahvand arrived in the UK covertly inside a lorry, while Manesh crossed into the country on a small vessel between 2016 and 2022. Sepahvand, who had previous theft convictions in Iran, claimed he cooperated because his relatives were threatened and hoped to clear his Iranian criminal record, denying any genuine intention to execute the violence. Manesh argued he was unaware of any connection to intelligence agencies, claiming he merely photographed a media site because he admired its architecture.

The case highlights an emerging pattern where hostile states recruit intermediaries online to monitor and threaten dissidents living overseas. Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded both Sepahvand and Manesh into custody ahead of their sentencing hearing, scheduled for December 17 at the Old Bailey.

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