British counterterrorism authorities have charged three Iranian nationals under the National Security Act in what authorities allege were actions linked to a plan to "commit serious violence" against persons in Britain, later identified as journalists.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were charged with "engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service" between August 14, 2024, and February 16 2025, authorities said on May 17.
The three men appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 17 and were remanded in custody, ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing at the central criminal court on June 6.
During the initial court appearance, prosecutors alleged that the three men had targeted Britain-based journalists connected with Iran International, a broadcaster which is critical of the Iranian government.
The three men, all London residents, were arrested on May 3. The statement's description of additional charges suggested that Sepahvand is suspected of intending to attack the prospective victims, who were not directly identified, while Manesh and Khani are suspected as accomplices.
Police said the men were arrested under a section of Britain's 2023 National Security Act that grants police the power to arrest someone without a warrant if they are reasonably suspected of being involved in "foreign power threat activity," the BBC reported.
Police said the foreign intelligence service in question was Iran's.
"We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil," Interior Minister Yvette Cooper said.
The Interior Ministry said the men had arrived "by irregular means, including small boats."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi previously said he was "disturbed" to hear that Iranian citizens had been arrested by British authorities, while another Iranian Foreign Ministry official called the accusations of Tehran's involvement "baseless."
The charges came after police arrested eight men -- including seven Iranians – in early May in two separate operations that Cooper said were some of the biggest investigations of their type in recent years.
Later on May 17, in a separate statement, police said four other men arrested as part of that operation had been released from custody but that the investigation was still open. The eighth suspect was released on May 15 without charges.
"We made these arrests due to concerns about a suspected plot to target a specific premises," the statement said, adding that they continued to provide the premises with support.
The head of Britain's domestic spy service said last year that since 2022, authorities had responded to 20 Iran-linked plots that potentially posed lethal threats to the public.
