UK Charges Man Under National Security Laws Over Alleged Assistance to Iranian Intelligence

British police have charged a 39-year-old man with allegedly assisting Iran’s intelligence service, marking the latest case involving Tehran to be investigated under the United Kingdom’s national security legislation.

The Metropolitan Police identified the suspect as Vahid Aberi, from Liverpool in northern England. Officers said Aberi was taken to a police station in central England following his arrest, while searches were carried out at properties in Liverpool and nearby Birmingham as part of the investigation.

Authorities said the charges fall under legislation designed to address threats posed by foreign states and their intelligence networks operating in the UK.

Police stressed that investigators have not identified any direct threat to a specific individual or community in connection with the case. However, counterterrorism officials said security agencies are increasingly being required to intervene to disrupt suspected activity linked to foreign intelligence services.

Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in London, said national security investigations have increased significantly in recent years.

“We have seen a significant and sustained increase in the tempo of our work in national security investigations in recent years,” Flanagan said in a statement, highlighting the growing workload facing British security services.

UK security officials have repeatedly warned that Iran has allegedly sought to use criminal networks and proxy actors to carry out hostile activities within Britain. Since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict, authorities have also investigated several antisemitic attacks that officials have linked to Iran.

The latest charge comes only days after the British government introduced new measures targeting support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Officials said the move is intended to prevent the use of state-backed proxy groups to conduct hostile operations on British soil.

Relations between London and Tehran have become increasingly strained in recent months. Last week, the UK summoned Iran’s most senior diplomat following the stabbing of an Iranian journalist in London, a case that resulted in the conviction of two Romanian nationals.

Iran has consistently rejected accusations that it poses a security threat to Britain. Responding to previous allegations, the Iranian Embassy in London described the claims as “unfounded, politically motivated and hostile.”

The investigation into Aberi remains ongoing, with police continuing to examine evidence gathered during searches of the properties linked to the suspect.

Aberi is scheduled to appear before a London court later on Friday, where the charges against him will be formally presented.

The case reflects the UK’s increasing use of national security legislation to address alleged foreign interference, as authorities continue to monitor suspected espionage and hostile state activity amid heightened geopolitical tensions.