Three Iranian nationals have been charged under the United Kingdom’s National Security Act on suspicion of conduct likely to assist Iran, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were arrested on May 3 as part of a counter-terrorism operation led by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command. The charges relate to activities allegedly carried out between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025.
The trio are accused of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service, identified by police as Iran. The men have all been remanded in custody and are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Commander Dominic Murphy, who oversees the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, described the charges as “extremely serious,” emphasizing that the case stemmed from a “very complex and fast-moving investigation.”
Further details reveal that Mostafa Sepahvand, a resident of St John’s Wood, London, faces additional charges related to surveillance, reconnaissance, and open-source research. Police allege these activities were undertaken with the intent to commit serious violence against individuals in the UK.
Meanwhile, Farhad Javadi Manesh, of Kensal Rise, London, and Shapoor Noori, of Ealing, London, are charged with conducting surveillance and reconnaissance activities intended to facilitate serious violence against others within the country.
The arrests were made under Section 27 of the National Security Act, a provision that allows police to detain individuals without a warrant if there is reasonable suspicion of involvement in “foreign power threat activity.”
Commander Murphy highlighted that officers have been “working around the clock” since the arrests, maintaining direct contact with those potentially affected by the alleged activities.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper released a statement in response to the charges, underscoring the gravity of the situation. “Iran must be held to account for its actions,” she said, adding, “We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil.”
In a related development, a fourth man, aged 31, was arrested on May 9 in connection with the investigation but was subsequently released without charge on Thursday.
On the same day the three men were arrested, police detained five other Iranian men—aged 24, 29 (two individuals), 40, and 46—as part of a separate counter-terrorism investigation. These arrests occurred across multiple locations, including Swindon, West London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester.
One of these men was released on bail pending a later date in May, while detention orders were extended for the remaining suspects until Saturday. However, Commander Murphy has stressed that the two investigations are not linked.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, urged the public and media to exercise caution, emphasizing the importance of not sharing information that could prejudice ongoing proceedings.
The case signals the UK government’s heightened vigilance against foreign espionage threats amid increasing geopolitical tensions. It also reflects ongoing efforts by UK law enforcement to safeguard national security through swift and coordinated counter-terrorism operations.