London —
Britain and Iran have each summoned the other’s diplomatic representatives following the arrest and charging of three Iranian nationals accused of spying in the UK.
The three men—Mostafa Sepahvand (39), Farhad Javadi Manesh (44), and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori (55)—were arrested on 3 May and appeared in a London court on Saturday facing charges related to espionage activities for the Iranian government.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the alleged spying took place between August 2024 and February 2025 and involved surveillance aimed at identifying journalists connected to Iran International, a media outlet critical of the Iranian regime and banned in Iran as a terrorist organization.
Diplomatic Tensions Rise
In response to the arrests, Iran’s state news agency IRNA called the detentions “unjustified” and “politically motivated,” summoning the British charge d’affaires on Sunday to demand an explanation.
On Monday, the UK Foreign Office summoned Tehran’s ambassador to London, emphasizing that protecting national security remains a top priority and insisting Iran be held accountable for its actions.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper reinforced this stance, stating, “We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil.”
Additional Related Arrests
Separately, on the same day as the spying arrests, five other Iranian men were detained across locations including London, Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester as part of a counter-terrorism investigation.
Police confirmed four of these men, who had been held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, were released, but the investigation remains active. The fifth man was released on bail to a date yet to be specified.
The three men charged with spying were granted temporary leave to remain in the UK after claiming asylum and had arrived in the country between 2016 and 2022. A fourth individual, arrested on 9 May as part of the inquiry, was released without charge.
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