Two men found guilty over Iranian attempts to ‘eliminate’ UK-based journalists

Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh carried out surveillance in an effort to inflict violence on targets

Two men of Iranian origin who were hired through social media as part of a plan to “eliminate” journalists in the UK have been found guilty of engaging in conduct likely to assist Tehran’s intelligence services.

Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, carried out surveillance and reconnaissance between August 2024 and March last year in an attempt to inflict violence on “subjects” in the UK.