{
  "id": 19651938,
  "title": "Two Iranians convicted of spying for Tehran in Britain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/two-iranians-convicted-of-spying-for-tehran-in-britain",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T12:29:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/europe/2026/11/12/two-iranians-convicted-of-spying-for-tehran-in-britain/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two Iranian men, Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh, have been convicted in a UK court of spying on dissident journalists for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The convictions, at Woolwich Crown Court, signal the first successful prosecution under Britain's 2023 National Security Act, aimed at countering foreign threats like Iran's. Police stated the case highlights the rising espionage activity from Tehran, which British authorities say has intensified. Vicki Evans, Britain's senior national counter-terrorism coordinator, emphasized Iran's ongoing threat to the UK. The IRGC directed Sepahvand, and Sepahvand and Manesh spied on Iran International journalists between August 2024 and March 2025. Sepahvand was found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service and planning to attack targets, while Manesh was convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service but acquitted of the attack plan charge. They will be sentenced next month. A third man, Shapoor Noori, was acquitted. The group targeted satirist Kambiz Hosseini, who hosted Iran International's nightly show, for potential violence as retaliation for his criticism of the Iranian regime. Iran has denied involvement in the spying allegations.",
  "summary": "Two Iranian men have been found guilty by a court in the UK of spying on dissident journalists in Britain on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a case police said reflected increasing espionage activity by Tehran . Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of two offences and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, was convicted of one offence under Britain's National…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}