Landmark National Security Act verdict exposes Tehran's hostile operations
November 12, 2026, 10:15 a.m. Eastern time.
Two Iranian nationals were convicted at London’s Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday of operating as espionage assets for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), conducting clandestine hostile reconnaissance on UK-based journalists and dissidents to facilitate violent physical attacks.
The verdicts against Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, mark Britain’s first successful prosecutions under the landmark National Security Act 2023, legislation enacted specifically to counter state-sponsored espionage, sabotage, and proxy assassination attempts on British soil. A jury found both men guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service, while Sepahvand was additionally convicted of engaging in preparatory conduct intended to facilitate serious acts of violence.
A third co-defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, was acquitted of all charges following the multi-week trial. Counter-terrorism prosecutors detailed how Sepahvand and Manesh acted on directives from handlers linked to the IRGC’s intelligence arm, stalking the private homes and workplaces of Persian-language media figures and legal advocates in exchange for thousands of pounds in cash payments, according to the BBC.
Journalists and legal advocates in crosshairs of reconnaissance
The primary focus of the operation involved detailed physical and digital surveillance of prominent journalists working for Iran International, an independent London-based satellite news broadcaster that has been repeatedly threatened by the Tehran regime for its critical reporting on civil unrest and human rights abuses.
The targets included veteran television presenters Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini. Prosecutors presented evidence showing Sepahvand staking out their broadcast facilities, following them during routine daily travel, photographing residential entryways, and noting security camera blind spots. Another verified target was Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, who had publicly campaigned against Iranian proxy networks and sanctions evasion.
Digital forensic specialists from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) recovered incriminating evidence from encrypted phones, revealing that Sepahvand had used artificial intelligence tools including ChatGPT to research his targets' schedules, vehicle registration plates, and family associates, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
British counter-terror chief warns of persistent state threats
Addressing reporters outside court, Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, underscored the significance of the convictions amid a broader surge in hostile state activity directed by foreign adversaries against UK residents.
“This was not passive information gathering; these individuals were gathering the actionable intelligence necessary for a foreign regime to conduct physical violence on the streets of London,” Murphy stated. “The passage of the National Security Act gives law enforcement the tools to disrupt and prosecute state-backed plots before innocent people are harmed, and today’s verdict sends an unmistakable message to hostile foreign intelligence services.”
Both defendants were remanded in custody pending formal sentencing, which trial judge Mr. Justice Baker scheduled for early next month, as confirmed in official releases from the Metropolitan Police.
Timeline of the UK counter-terrorism spy investigation
July 2023: The UK Parliament passes the National Security Act 2023, replacing century-old Official Secrets statutes with updated powers to counter foreign state coercion.
August 2024: Sepahvand and Manesh begin monitored surveillance sweeps of Iran International staff and residences across Greater London.
March 2025: SO15 counter-terror detectives arrest the suspects in coordinated raids, recovering digital records, covert vehicle trackers, and financial transaction slips.
October 2026: Jury trial opens inside the high-security courtroom complex at Woolwich Crown Court.
November 12, 2026: The jury returns unanimous guilty verdicts against Sepahvand and Manesh for assisting foreign intelligence, with Sepahvand also convicted of preparing violent acts.
