During a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey court in London, it was announced that the trial of three Iranian men accused of collaborating with the Iranian regime’s intelligence service will begin in October 2026 in the United Kingdom.
Defense attorneys for the defendants — Mostafa Sepahvand, 39; Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44; and Shapur Ghaleh Alikhani Noori, 55 — announced on Friday that their clients are likely to plead “not guilty” to all charges.
The formal plea hearing for the three men will be held on September 26, while their trial is set to begin on October 5, 2026, at Woolwich Crown Court in London.
The three are accused of “gathering information and planning acts of violence” on British soil.
The men, who were arrested on May 4 and remain in custody, are the first Iranians to be prosecuted under the UK’s National Security Act of 2023, which addresses threats posed by hostile foreign states.
All three are accused of actions that allegedly support the intelligence service of a foreign government. The UK police and Home Office have identified that foreign state as “Iran.”
The charges relate to alleged activities carried out between August 2024 and February 2025.
Prosecutors say the three men are also accused of surveillance and conducting reconnaissance operations targeting specific individuals in the UK.
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UK Government Reaction
Following the announcement of the charges in May, Yvette Cooper, the UK Home Secretary, issued an official statement in response to the allegations against the three Iranian nationals.
The Home Secretary said that the Iranian regime must be held accountable for its actions and the UK will not tolerate the increasing threats posed by foreign governments on its soil.
She added that the UK government would consider taking further measures to counter state threats to national security.
