Wednesday, October 7, 2026 - Three Iranian nationals have gone on trial in London over allegations that they conducted surveillance on journalists and other critics of Tehran as part of a planned campaign of serious violence.
Prosecutors at Woolwich Crown Court allege that Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori carried out reconnaissance, visited addresses linked to their targets and collected photographs and videos between August 2024 and March 2025.
The alleged targets included Iran International journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, as well as UK Lawyers for Israel founder Jonathan Turner. Prosecutors say the operation was intended to gather information that could enable a violent attack, with court evidence alleging that Sepahvand was prepared to carry out an attack for £150,000.
All three defendants deny the charges under the UK's National Security Act; Sepahvand is expected to argue that he was coerced, while the other two defendants say they did not know they were assisting Iranian intelligence.
The case puts renewed focus on Britain's efforts to counter alleged foreign-state operations targeting people living and working in the UK. The trial, expected to last up to six weeks, will test the prosecution's claims about the defendants' intentions and alleged links to Iran's foreign intelligence service.
With journalists and political critics increasingly at the centre of security concerns, the proceedings could carry wider implications for how Britain responds to suspected overseas intimidation and surveillance on its soil.
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