UK court convicts two men over Iran-linked surveillance of journalists
A Woolwich Crown Court jury convicted Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh after prosecutors said they surveilled Iran International journalists and others in Britain. Police said the pair were stopped before an alleged violent attack could occur.
By DoomRadar · Published on DoomRadar . Updated .
Places in the report
Countries named in the cited reporting. Highlighting does not show the area affected. Map: Natural Earth.
How the effects could reach youConditional effects
Event date: The jury convicted Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh on November 12, 2026, according to the CPS reporting cited by Econotimes. [3]
What happened
Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of assisting a foreign intelligence service. The case concerned an Iran-linked operation targeting people living in Britain. [1][3]
References for this detail (2)
- Two men found guilty of helping Iranian spy operation targeting UK-based criticsaol.co.uk · Article published: Nov 12, 2026, 11:44 AM UTC
- UK Jury Convicts Two Men in Case Tied to Iran-Linked Surveillanceeconotimes.com · Article published: Nov 13, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
Prosecutors said surveillance, reconnaissance and online research took place between August 2024 and March 2025. The targets included Iran International journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, a UK Lawyers for Israel founder, and a media production professional. [1][3]
References for this detail (2)
- Two men found guilty of helping Iranian spy operation targeting UK-based criticsaol.co.uk · Article published: Nov 12, 2026, 11:44 AM UTC
- UK Jury Convicts Two Men in Case Tied to Iran-Linked Surveillanceeconotimes.com · Article published: Nov 13, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
Metropolitan Police investigators reviewed 534GB of data and found briefing documents containing target photographs, work addresses and vehicle information on the defendants’ phones, according to the CPS account. [3]
References for this detail (1)
- UK Jury Convicts Two Men in Case Tied to Iran-Linked Surveillanceeconotimes.com · Article published: Nov 13, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
Prosecutors alleged Sepahvand was prepared to carry out a violent attack and cited a message referring to “finish [the target] off” alongside a request for £150,000. Police said the pair were stopped before an attack occurred. [1][3]
References for this detail (2)
- Two men found guilty of helping Iranian spy operation targeting UK-based criticsaol.co.uk · Article published: Nov 12, 2026, 11:44 AM UTC
- UK Jury Convicts Two Men in Case Tied to Iran-Linked Surveillanceeconotimes.com · Article published: Nov 13, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
The court heard that Sepahvand and Manesh had lived in west London after receiving temporary permission to remain in Britain while seeking asylum. The prosecution also cited promises of money and help resolving a theft conviction in Iran as incentives. [2][3]
References for this detail (2)
- Two Iranians convicted in UK of spying for IRGC, plotting attacksisraelnationalnews.com · Recorded source date: Nov 13, 2026, 5:01 AM UTC
- UK Jury Convicts Two Men in Case Tied to Iran-Linked Surveillanceeconotimes.com · Article published: Nov 13, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
Context from the sources
The CPS said sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2026, at the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey. The convictions establish criminal liability, while the sentence had not yet been imposed in the reported proceedings. [3]
Counter Terrorism Policing described the case as the fourth in recent years involving a direct threat to Iran International journalists, according to the police account cited by Econotimes. [3]
Explore the sources and reporting timeline
3 source links · 3 domains
These counts describe the references, not independent confirmations. Different outlets can repeat the same original report.
Source timeline
Oldest to newest among the available source dates, not a chronology of the incident. Article publication dates come from the source; other recorded dates may reflect when a link was found.
- [1] Two men found guilty of helping Iranian spy operation targeting UK-based criticsaol.co.ukReferenced for: detail 1, detail 2, detail 4
- [3] UK Jury Convicts Two Men in Case Tied to Iran-Linked Surveillanceeconotimes.comReferenced for: detail 1, detail 2, detail 3, detail 4, detail 5
- [2] Two Iranians convicted in UK of spying for IRGC, plotting attacksisraelnationalnews.comReferenced for: detail 5
Questions answered by the reporting
What charges were proved against the two men?
Both were convicted under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023 for assisting a foreign intelligence service. Sepahvand was separately convicted of preparing for serious violence; Manesh was acquitted on that charge. [3]
What this could mean for you
Journalists, lawyers and other regime critics in Britain may require protection against surveillance or attempted violence.
The convictions involved alleged collection of target photographs, addresses and vehicle details, with one defendant separately convicted of preparing for serious violence.
Reported basis: [1][3] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: Risk would be more immediate if comparable surveillance or attack preparations were identified against additional people.
Targeted media workers could face disruption to reporting routines or personal security arrangements.
Physical reconnaissance can expose workplaces, homes or travel patterns, making ordinary assignments harder to conduct safely.
Reported basis: [1][3] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: This applies if surveillance connected to similar operations continues or expands.
Possible consequences, not a forecast. Their relevance depends on your location and the conditions above.
For your country
Choose a country to check how this event could affect you.
What changes the outlook
Risk increases if…
Further confirmed surveillance, target research or preparations for violence against journalists or other critics in Britain would indicate that the threat extends beyond this prosecution.
Evidence of additional participants or planned attacks emerging at sentencing or in later investigations would widen the security concern.
Pressure eases if…
The threat would recede if investigations establish that the operation was disrupted fully and identify no continuing surveillance or attack preparation.
A completed prosecution and sentencing process could reduce uncertainty about the immediate case, although it would not by itself resolve any wider network question.
Still unclear
The reported material does not establish whether anyone else directed or funded the operation beyond the alleged Iranian contacts.
The full sentence and any court findings about the wider network were not available because sentencing was scheduled for December 17, 2026.
Market implications
Market impact
Sources (3)
References for the reported details. Separate links do not necessarily mean independent confirmation.
Available excerpt
Two Iranian nationals have been found guilty of carrying out activities likely to assist Iran's intelligence service after conducting surveillance on targets in the UK,…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
Available excerpt
Two Iranian men are convicted of spying for the IRGC in Britain, targeting journalists and a pro-Israel lawyer, with one suspect willing to carry out…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
Available excerpt
A Woolwich Crown Court jury convicted two men Thursday, Nov. 12, of helping a foreign intelligence service after the Metropolitan Police said they gathered detailed…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
First tracked by DoomRadar: . AI-assisted analysis · . Based on linked headlines and available excerpts. Methodology · Report an error.