Iran's shadow operations stretch across Europe as chilling spy convictions expose Tehran's reach

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Two Iranian men convicted of spying in Britain as France accuses the IRGC of cyberattacks and UAE officials warn of Iranian sleeper cells abroad.

Lisa Daftari says years of hacking, surveillance and threats have changed how she lives, warning that Iran’s intimidation tactics are designed to silence critics abroad.

Two Iranian men were convicted in Britain on Thursday of spying on journalists and critics of Tehran, the latest case raising alarm over Iranian operations beyond the Middle East, as France accuses the IRGC of unprecedented cyberattacks and a senior UAE official warns of Iranian sleeper cells abroad.

The developments come as the Trump administration continues its campaign of economic pressure against Tehran while leaving the door open to diplomatic negotiations, raising questions about how Iran's overseas intelligence networks and alleged covert activities might factor into any future agreement.

A jury at Woolwich Crown Court in London found Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, guilty of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service after prosecutors said they carried out surveillance of journalists and other individuals critical of the Iranian government, according to Reuters.

IRAN TURNS CITIZENS INTO INFORMANTS AS CHILLING CRACKDOWN SPREADS BEYOND ITS BORDERS

EU designates Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization as Ursula von der Leyen pledges rapid implementation following a violent crackdown. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The targets included journalists working for Iran International, a London-based Persian-language news outlet critical of Tehran, and a prominent figure associated with UK Lawyers for Israel.

According to prosecutors, the surveillance operation took place between August 2024 and March 2025 and involved visits to locations associated with the targets, photographs, videos and online research.

Sepahvand was also convicted of engaging in preparatory conduct with the intention of committing serious violence against a person in Britain, while Manesh was acquitted of that charge and a third defendant was…

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