Iran-UK Tensions Escalate After Alleged Plot Against UK-Based Reporters By The Media Line Staff British authorities summoned Iran’s ambassador on Monday as tensions between the two nations over an alleged espionage case continue to escalate. One day prior, Iran summoned a British diplomat to protest the UK’s decision to detain several Iranians charged with spying […]
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The Media Line: Iran-UK Tensions Escalate After Alleged Plot Against UK-Based Reporters
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Iran-UK Tensions Escalate After Alleged Plot Against UK-Based Reporters
By The Media Line Staff
British authorities summoned Iran’s ambassador on Monday as tensions between the two nations over an alleged espionage case continue to escalate. One day prior, Iran summoned a British diplomat to protest the UK’s decision to detain several Iranians charged with spying for Tehran and targeting journalists in the UK.
The three men—Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55—were charged Saturday in a London court with assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police allege they conducted surveillance on journalists affiliated with Iran International, a UK-based outlet critical of the Iranian government, between August 2024 and February 2025. The news channel has been banned in Iran and labeled a terrorist group by authorities there.
The suspects, who arrived in the UK between 2016 and 2022 and claimed asylum, allegedly plotted violence against individuals linked to the broadcaster. According to UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the case is part of a broader pattern of state-linked threats. “The Iranian regime poses an unacceptable threat to our domestic security which cannot continue,” Cooper said in Parliament on Monday. “We will not tolerate growing state-backed threats on UK soil.”
The Foreign Office stated, “The UK government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions.”
Four other Iranian nationals were arrested two weeks ago in a separate terrorism investigation and later released, though police say inquiries are ongoing.
Iran, for its part, denounced the arrests as politically driven and warned the UK against “unconstructive behavior” that could further strain diplomatic ties.