Three Iranian nationals went on trial Tuesday in London on charges of spying for Tehran and plotting serious physical attacks on journalists living in Britain. According to the indictment, the goal was to silence and intimidate critical voices against the regime. The case has once again exposed Iran’s long reach and its attempts to target regime opponents in the heart of Europe.
1+Prosecutors at Woolwich Crown Court revealed that Mostafa Sefhvand, 41, was recruited to carry out the actual attack, while Farhad Manesh, 46, and Shafur Nuri, 57, ran a network of surveillance, photography, and reconnaissance. The spy cell’s main targets were journalists working for Iran International—a Persian-language satellite channel broadcasting from London that Tehran labels a “terrorist organization” for its sharp coverage critical of the ayatollah regime.
At least two of the channel’s employees were explicitly marked as targets for serious violence, designed to silence and deter other critics. Sefhvand doesn’t deny his involvement but claimed in his defense that he acted out of fear of the consequences of refusing orders. Prosecutors rejected the claim and called it “fabricated,” arguing his real motive was money and a desire to overturn a previous criminal conviction for theft in Iran.
1+The investigation revealed the circle of threats extended beyond journalists, after a detailed “briefing sheet” on lawyer Jonathan Turner, a co-founder of UK Lawyers for Israel, was found in the defendants’ possession.
One of the main journalists targeted is Mojtaba Pourmohsen. A briefing document found on Sefhvand’s phone included photos of him, his workplace, and a hotel where he stayed. According to the evidence, Nuri was recorded photographing Pourmohsen’s apartment building in Brentford, southwest London, in December 2024.
Shortly after, Sefhvand and Manesh also arrived at the location and documented it in additional videos and photos. The three defendants arrived in Britain between 2016 and 2022, received temporary status after filing asylum applications, and deny all charges against them.