Two Iranian men have been found guilty of spying for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by carrying out surveillance and reconnaissance on journalists and a lawyer in the UK, with one of them intending to commit a violent attack.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Thursday of assisting a foreign intelligence service after a six-week trial. A third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was acquitted of all charges.
The men were tasked by the IRGC with monitoring targets that included journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, who worked for the London-based Persian-language broadcaster Iran International, and Jonathan Turner, a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel. Sepahvand also intended to carry out a violent attack against at least one of them, while Manesh helped with planning.
Sepahvand and Manesh, both from west London, are asylum seekers who had been granted temporary leave to remain. Sepahvand arrived in the UK in a lorry and Manesh in a small boat.
The court heard that the pair visited addresses linked to their targets, took photos and videos, and used the AI platform ChatGPT to research them online. At one point, Sepahvand chatted on WhatsApp with an IRGC commander named Amin, who sent pictures of a target and asked about their office. Sepahvand replied that he would go there the next day.
Prosecutors said Sepahvand hoped to be paid £150,000 for carrying out a violent attack and helping to "finish off" one of the targets. In a voice note, Sepahvand said: "If the person [the target] is inside, they pay the £150,000, and I'll finish him off." Sepahvand claimed his family was being threatened and that he never intended to go through with the hit.
Manesh claimed he took a picture of the Iran International site because it was “a beautiful building” and did not know his actions were assisting Iranian intelligence.
Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service's counter-terrorism division, said: "This was a calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime." He added that Sepahvand "was willing to go beyond surveillance to commit serious violence against their targets. Thankfully, the defendants were stopped before any attack could take place."
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter-Terrorism Policing, said it was the first time ChatGPT case search history had been presented in a state threat case. "It's something we're beginning to see more of as AI tools become more widely available and people become more aware of them," she said.
Evans said the threat from hostile states to the UK is increasing and that Iran continues to adapt its approach to using proxies. “We have seen examples where people who fly into the country to carry out criminal activity and then leave shortly afterwards, others where they use British nationals or, in this case, Iranian nationals with settled immigration status,” she said.
The UK formally designated the IRGC as a threat to national security in July, meaning support or assistance to the organisation can carry penalties of up to 14 years in prison under new rules on national security and state threats.
Sepahvand and Manesh will be sentenced at the Old Bailey in London on December 17.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case highlights the growing use of proxies by hostile states to target dissidents abroad, with individuals recruited via social media often unaware of the full scope of the operation.
- It underscores the increasing threat to journalists and activists in the UK, particularly those critical of the Iranian regime, and raises concerns about the safety of free expression.
- The use of AI tools like ChatGPT for surveillance marks a new dimension in state-sponsored espionage, which authorities say is likely to become more common.
Background
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been accused of orchestrating multiple plots against Iranian dissidents in the UK. The UK government designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation in 2024, and in July 2026 formally declared it a threat to national security. The case is the fourth targeting Iran International since late 2023, including a 2024 stabbing of a journalist outside his home by two Romanian men who were jailed in July. British counter-terrorism police have warned of an uptick in hostile Iranian activity, with more than 50 arrests linked to Iran-linked operations in the last year, according to MI5.
Key Perspectives
Crown Prosecution Service: Frank Ferguson said the men were promised rewards for sending intelligence to Iran, and Sepahvand was willing to go beyond surveillance to commit serious violence.
Counter-Terrorism Policing: Vicki Evans said the case shows Iran's evolving use of proxies, including British nationals and settled residents, and flagged the growing use of AI tools in state-threat cases.
Iran International parent company Volant Media: A spokesman said the verdicts "don't make the lives of our journalists any safer so long as the Islamic Republic of Iran continues its campaign of death threats and violence against them."
Iranian government: Authorities have denied the allegations, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying he was "disturbed" by the arrests last May.
What to Watch
- Sentencing scheduled for December 17 at the Old Bailey, which will set a precedent for penalties under the new counter-state threats laws.
- Whether further arrests or charges emerge in related investigations, particularly those involving the RAF Fairford airbase plot and other Iran-linked operations.
- The potential for increased surveillance and security measures for journalists and activists identified as targets by hostile states.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 4 sources: 11 supported.
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- SupportedThe headline and summary say two Iranian men were convicted of spying for Iran after surveillance of UK-based journalists and a lawyer.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted on Thursday following a six-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court in south London for engaging in conduct likely to assist Iran’s intelligence service”
- SupportedThe opening says the men carried out surveillance for Iran’s IRGC on journalists and a lawyer, and that one intended a violent attack.BBC London: “They were tasked by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with monitoring the targets. Sepahvand intended to carry out a "violent attack" against at least one of them, while Manesh helped with planning.”
- SupportedThe story identifies the targets as Iran International journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, and UK Lawyers for Israel founder member Jonathan Turner.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “These included journalists for Iran International, Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, and a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel, Jonathan Turner.”
- SupportedSepahvand and Manesh were convicted after a six-week trial; a third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, was acquitted of all charges.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted on Thursday following a six-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court in south London”
- Partly supportedManesh helped with planning the violent attack.World news | The Guardian: “Manesh was convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service, but cleared of preparatory conduct.”
- SupportedFerguson said, “This was a calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““This was a calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime,” Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counterterrorism division, told reporters.”
- SupportedFerguson said Sepahvand “was willing to go beyond surveillance to commit serious violence against their targets” and that “the defendants were stopped before any attack could take place.”BBC London: “"Sepahvand himself was willing to go beyond surveillance to commit serious violence against their targets," he said. "Thankfully, the defendants were stopped before any attack could take place."”
- SupportedSepahvand said in a voice note: “If the person [the target] is inside, they pay the £150,000, and I'll finish him off.”World news | The Guardian: ““If the person [the target] is inside, they pay the £150,000, and I’ll finish him off,” said Sepahvand in a voice note.”
- SupportedManesh said he took a picture of the Iran International site because it was “a beautiful building” and said he did not know his actions were assisting Iranian intelligence.World news | The Guardian: “Manesh claimed he took a picture of the Iran International site because it was “a beautiful building” and did not know they were working with the Iranian intelligence services.”
- SupportedA WhatsApp exchange with IRGC commander Amin included Amin sending target pictures and asking about the office, and Sepahvand saying he would go there the next day.World news | The Guardian: “Amin wrote: “These are new pictures of the guy/bloke.” Sepahvand replied: “I’ll go tomorrow.” Referring to a picture, Amin said: “And that dot is their office?” Sepahvand said: “Love you brother, I’ll go there tomorrow.””
- SupportedEvans said it was the first time ChatGPT case search history had been presented in a state threat case and said, “It's something we're beginning to see more of as AI tools become more widely available and people become more aware of them.”BBC London: “Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national co-ordinator for Counter-Terrorism Policing, said it was the first time ChatGPT case search history had been presented in a state threat case. She added: "It's something we're beginning to see more of as AI tools become more widely available and people become more aware of them."”
- SupportedThe UK designated the IRGC as a national-security threat in July, with support or assistance carrying penalties of up to 14 years under new rules; Sepahvand and Manesh are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on December 17.DW English: “The UK formally designated the IRGC as a threat to national security in July, meaning that supporting or assisting the organization can carry penalties of up to 14 years in prison as part of new rules on national security and state threats. Sentencing in this case is still pending and is scheduled for mid-December.”