Britain and Iran have summoned one another’s envoys after three Iranians had been charged with spying within the UK.
Three Iranian males had been arrested on 3 Might and appeared in courtroom in London on Saturday on prices of spying for the Islamic republic.
Iran’s IRNA information company mentioned the British cost d’affaire was requested on Sunday to provide an explanation for what it mentioned was “unjustified” and “politically motivated” arrests. The UK Overseas Workplace then responded on Monday by summoning Tehran’s ambassador to the UK.
Residence Secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned the UK would “not tolerate rising state-backed threats on UK soil”.
“I can verify the Iranian ambassador has been summoned and [Foreign Secretary David Lammy] is elevating with Iranian international minister within the strongest phrases that the UK won’t settle for any Iranian state menace exercise within the UK,” she mentioned in Parliament on Monday.
She added that the federal government would draft new powers of proscription to cowl state threats.
She mentioned they might create an influence “stronger than present Nationwide Safety Act powers in permitting us to limit the exercise and operations of international state-backed organisations within the UK.”
The Overseas Workplace mentioned the federal government “is evident that defending nationwide safety stays our high precedence and Iran should be held accountable for its actions”.
“The [ambassador] summons follows this weekend’s announcement which acknowledged that three Iranian nationals had been charged with partaking in conduct more likely to help a international intelligence service,” it added.
The alleged spying came about from August 2024 to February 2025, in accordance with the Metropolitan Police.
Police have recognized the suspects as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all residing in London.
A fourth man had been arrested on 9 Might as a part of the investigation, however was launched with out cost, the Met mentioned.
The three males who had been charged had arrived within the UK between 2016 and 2022 had been granted non permanent go away to stay after claiming asylum.
It’s alleged they carried out surveillance with a view to finding journalists related to Iran Worldwide, which produces protection that’s vital of the present regime in Iran. It has been proscribed in Iran as a terrorist organisation.
Residence Secretary Cooper mentioned the costs towards the Iranian nationals got here alongside a “sequence of grave wider points”, together with “rising numbers of Iran-linked operations on UK soil” and a “almost 50% in a yr” enhance in MI5 state threats investigations.
“The Iranian regime poses an unacceptable menace to our home safety which can not proceed,” she mentioned.
5 different Iranian males had been additionally arrested on 5 Might in London, Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester as a part of a separate counter-terrorism investigation.
4 of the lads – who had been held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act – had been launched from custody, though the investigation “stays energetic and is ongoing”, police mentioned.
The fifth man was earlier bailed to an unspecified date in Might.
