On a mission for the Revolutionary Guards: Two Iranians convicted of espionage in Britain

A British court convicted two Iranian nationals of espionage on behalf of the Revolutionary Guards, including surveillance of journalists from Iran International. One was also convicted of planning an attack. British police warn of the growing Iranian threat.

A British court on Thursday convicted two Iranian nationals who helped Iranian intelligence monitor journalists opposed to the regime in Tehran. One was also convicted of planning an attack against the journalists. The two, Mostafa Sefahvand (41) and Farhad Javadi Manesh (46), were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court in London under the UK National Security Act. This is the first conviction of Iranian nationals under this law, which took effect in 2023. The surveillance operations were carried out between August 2024 and March 2025 against journalists from Iran International, a Persian-language channel. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Policing, warned of the growing Iranian threat to Britain. The convictions follow the arrest of the suspects in May 2025, which drew a response from Tehran. Iran has denied any involvement.