Two Iranians convicted of spying for Tehran on dissident journalists and pro-Israel lawyer in the UK
Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh planned ‘violent attacks’ against at least one of their ‘subjects’, the trial heard
Assessment
Two Iranian nationals have been convicted in the UK for running a surveillance operation targeting dissident journalists and a pro-Israel lawyer. The trial revealed they planned violent attacks against at least one person they were tracking. This case exposes how Tehran's intelligence apparatus extends its reach into Britain, using operatives to intimidate and threaten critics abroad. The verdict signals that UK courts are willing to hold state-linked spies accountable, but the broader question is how many similar networks remain undetected.