Three Iranians charged after counter terror investigations

Alsharq Tribune- M.Essam 

Three Iranian men have been charged with offences under the National Security Act, police said. The trio were charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between Aug 14 last year and Feb 16, 2025, following an investigation by counter-terror police

The Metropolitan Police named the three men charged as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55. They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Sepahvand, of St John’s Wood, London, was charged with “surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research” with the intention of “committing serious violence against a person in the UK”.

However, Manesh, from Kensal Rise, and Noori, from Ealing, were charged with the same offence but with the intention that violence “would be committed by others”. The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran.

Dominic Murphy, the counter-terrorism commander, described the charges as “extremely serious”.

He added: “Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock and we have worked closely with colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service to reach this point.

“Now that these men have been charged I would urge people not to speculate about this case, so that the criminal justice process can run its course.” On May 9, a fourth man, aged 31, was also arrested as part of the investigation.

A warrant of further detention was obtained to extend his remand until May 16, but he was released without charge on Thursday.