In a landmark legal ruling, two Iranian nationals who entered the United Kingdom illegally have been found guilty of spying for the Iranian state, marking the first successful prosecution of its kind under the National Security Act.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted on Thursday following a trial that exposed a chilling plot to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance on individuals living in Britain. The court heard that the defendants, who arrived in the UK via lorry and small boat respectively, were acting on behalf of the Iranian intelligence services to target perceived enemies of the regime.
Sepahvand, a resident of St John’s Wood, north London, was found to have carried out extensive surveillance between August 2024 and March 2025. His targets included high-profile journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, both employees of the London-based Persian broadcaster Iran International, as well as Jonathan Turner, a founder of UK Lawyers for Israel.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Sepahvand had engaged in systematic tracking of these individuals, visiting their home addresses and capturing photos and videos. He even utilized artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT, to research his targets online. Prosecutors detailed how Sepahvand boasted of having high-level contacts within the Iranian embassy in London and had been provided with “tasking documents” to direct his activities.
In one disturbing exchange, Sepahvand was explicitly told by his handlers: “You are expected to hit or kill the journalist.” He reportedly requested a payment of £150,000 to “finish off” a journalist associated with Iran International, complaining in voice notes that he had not been sufficiently compensated for his preliminary surveillance work. The trial revealed that Sepahvand’s motivation was linked to a personal agenda: he hoped that by executing these orders, he could secure the quashing of a previous criminal conviction for theft in Iran.
Farhad Javadi Manesh was found guilty for his role in assisting with the planning of these operations. While the prosecution successfully proved the espionage charges against both men, a third defendant, 57-year-old Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, was cleared of the charge. Furthermore, Manesh and Noori were both acquitted of an additional count regarding the intent to facilitate serious violence.
Counter-terrorism investigators described the case as a significant victory for national security, highlighting the evolving threat posed by foreign intelligence services operating within UK borders. The conviction sends a stark warning that those who abuse the hospitality of the UK to conduct espionage or target dissidents will be held accountable under the full extent of the law.
The sentencing of Sepahvand and Manesh is expected to follow, as authorities continue to monitor threats posed by foreign states against individuals residing in Britain.
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