Three Iranian nationals have appeared in court in London charged with suspected espionage for Iran’s intelligence services, UK police said, as the government vowed to boost national security powers.
The charges come amid heightened concerns about Iranian activities on UK soil.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said following the charges that “Iran must be held to account for its actions”.
“We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil,” she said.
The three were all remanded in custody following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.
They were arrested on May 3 in what the capital’s Metropolitan police called “a very complex and fast-moving investigation”, and were due to appear in a London court later on Saturday.
They were named as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all with addresses in London.
The alleged spying activity took place from August 2024 to February 2025, according to police who confirmed that Iran was the country.
“These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, which have come about following what has been a very complex and fast-moving investigation,” said Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter-Terrorism command.
“Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock,” he added.
All three were charged with “engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025,” the police said.
“The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran,” the police said in their statement.
– ‘State threats’ –
Sepahvand was also charged with “surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research… intending to commit acts, namely serious violence against a person in the United Kingdom.”
Manesh and Noori were also charged with “surveillance and reconnaissance with the intention that acts, namely serious violence against a person in the United Kingdom, would be committed by others.”
A fourth man was arrested on May 9 as part of the investigation, but has now been released without charge, the police added in their statement.
The National Security Act gives law enforcement greater powers to disrupt “state threats” including foreign interference and espionage.
In March, Iran became the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which aims to boost the UK’s national security against covert foreign influences.
The measures, due to come into place later this year, will mean that all people working inside the UK for Iran, its intelligence services or the Revolutionary Guard would have to register or face jail.
Five Iranian nationals were also arrested on May 3 in connection with an entirely separate investigation, with four of them remaining in custody after warrants of further detention were secured.
The four were arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, contrary to section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
A fifth was bailed to an unspecified date in May.