UK authorities have charged three Iranian men with espionage on behalf of Iran’s intelligence services, following a sweeping investigation described by police as “very complex and
fast-moving.” A fourth suspect, also detained earlier this month, has been released without charge.
All three were arrested in London on May 3 and are scheduled to appear in court on Saturday. According to the Metropolitan Police, the alleged offenses occurred between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025.
In a statement, police said the men were accused of "engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service," specifically identifying Iran as the state in question.
Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Command, emphasized the seriousness of the case: “These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act. Since the arrests, detectives have been working around the clock to bring this case forward.”
One of the men faces an additional charge for carrying out surveillance, reconnaissance, and open-source research with the intent to commit serious violence against a person in the UK. The two others face similar charges, accused of planning such acts to be carried out by others.
The arrests come amid growing concerns over Iranian state activity within the UK. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the detentions, saying it was “disturbed” to learn that Iranian nationals had been arrested by British authorities. Photo by Paasikivi, Wikimedia commons.