Diplomatic strife between Britain and Iran deepens, following indictment against three Iranians

Tensions between Great Britain and Iran could increase after these two states called each other's diplomats to protest meetings on Monday, due to an indictment against the three Iranians under suspicion of helping a foreign spying agency conduct activities on British soil.

Three men, all of London's inhabitants, were arrested on May 3rd and on May 17th.

Iranian media reported on Monday that Great Britain's employee in Tehran was called to explain the arrests and the groundless “acles” to the Islamic republic.

Hours later, Britain announced it called Iranian Ambassador to London at a “meeting following the indictment against three Iranian citizens under the National Security Act”.

British authorities filed charges at the weekend against Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manes, 44, and Shapoor Qaleali Khani Noori, 55, for “actions likely to help a foreign intelligence service” between August 14th 2024 and February 16th 2025.

Police said the foreign intelligence service in question was Iran's.

During their initial appearance in court, prosecutors claimed the three men were targeting Britain-based journalists linked to Iran International, a critical broadcaster to the Iranian government.

The charges came after the police arrested eight men including seven Iranians in early May in two separate operations.

Later on 17 May, in another communiqué, police said four other men arrested as part of this operation had been released from custody, but the investigation remains open. The eighth suspect was released on May 15th without facing charges.

Relations between Tehran and London have deteriorated in recent months, after a British couple who had travelled to Iran were charged with spying in February.

The couple, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, reportedly were traveling by motorcycle around the world when he was arrested in Iran.

British media report that they had entered Iran on December 30th through Armenia and were planning to leave the country across the Pakistan border after five days. They had stayed in Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan, but had not taken a record at their hotel in Kerman.

The British government, which currently advises its citizens not to travel to Iran because of the significant “risk of arrest, interrogation or ban, has expressed “deep concern” on the charges and says it is actively working on the couple's return.

Iran is accused by human rights groups of dealing with “miplomacy of hostages”, thus arresting foreign citizens and dual citizenship to exert pressure on relations with the West. / RELPeriscope.