Two Iranians Convicted in UK for Spying on Dissident Journalists for Tehran's Revolutionary Guard

Two Iranian men have been found guilty by a UK court of spying on dissident journalists in Britain on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Police stated that this case highlights the increasing espionage activities by Tehran.

Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, was convicted of two offenses, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, was convicted of one offense under Britain's National Security Act at Woolwich Crown Court. According to police, these convictions are the first successful prosecutions of Iranians under the National Security Act, which was enacted in 2023 to address rising threats from foreign states like Iran, as reported by British authorities.

Vicki Evans, Britain's senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing, indicated that Sepahvand was directed by the IRGC, described as