Skip to content
Two Iranian Men Convicted of Spying on UK Journalists for Tehran

Two Iranian Men Convicted of Spying on UK Journalists for Tehran

First seen 12 Nov 2026, 16:49 UTC • •
API

Article Content

Browse articles
ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •November 12, 2026 at 20:47 UTC
  • •Two Iranian men were convicted of spying for Iran, targeting UK journalists and a lawyer.
  • •They conducted surveillance using ChatGPT and were motivated by financial incentives from the IRGC.
  • •This case highlights the increasing use of proxies by Iran to eliminate dissent abroad.

Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh were found guilty of spying for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after conducting surveillance on journalists and a lawyer in the UK. They targeted Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, journalists for Iran International, and Jonathan Turner, a lawyer for UK Lawyers for Israel. The defendants used social media to recruit and employed tools like ChatGPT for reconnaissance between August 2024 and March 2025. Sepahvand was motivated by a promise of £150,000 for a violent attack, while Manesh assisted in the planning. Their actions were part of a broader trend of Iranian proxies targeting dissidents abroad. They will be sentenced on December 17, 2026.

Start a free Starter trial for enhanced analysis

Ask AI about this cluster

Updated 23h ago How this analysis works

Timeline

2026-11-12
Men found guilty of espionage
Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Manesh were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court for spying on journalists and a lawyer in the UK.
Theguardian
2026-11-12
Trial details revealed
The trial revealed that the defendants used ChatGPT for surveillance and were motivated by financial rewards from the IRGC.
France24
2026-11-12
Sentencing scheduled
Sepahvand and Manesh are set to be sentenced on December 17, 2026, for their espionage activities.
Aljazeera

More articles in this cluster (15)

Following this threat?

Track Iran International in your own feed — you're alerted when they show up in new reporting, leak sites or exploitation.

Free account · no card needed

Extracted Entities (8)

1 / 2

Common questions

What were the defendants charged with?
Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh were charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023.
What motivated their actions?
They were motivated by financial incentives, including a promise of £150,000 for carrying out violent attacks.
What is the current status of the case?
The two men were found guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2026.