Man charged in UK over alleged assistance to Iran's intelligence service

A 39-year-old man has been charged in the United Kingdom with a National Security Act offence after an investigation into alleged assistance to Iran's intelligence service. Vahid Aberi, who is from Liverpool, was arrested in Birmingham on Wednesday and later charged following inquiries by Counter Terrorism Policing. Police said searches were carried out at properties in Birmingham and Liverpool as part of the investigation.

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Aberi was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later. The charge follows what investigators described as a national security case linked to suspected activity involving a foreign intelligence service. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the case was another example of work to disrupt suspected activity of this kind.

Flanagan said officers had seen a significant and sustained increase in the tempo of national security investigations in recent years. She added that, while details could not be discussed further because a man had been charged, police had not identified any direct threat to the public. She also said there was no identified threat towards any community or individual in connection with the investigation.

The case comes at a time when UK counter-terrorism and national security teams are dealing with a growing number of investigations involving suspected foreign state activity. The use of the National Security Act reflects the legal tools now available to prosecutors in cases involving alleged assistance to hostile or foreign intelligence services. Such cases are closely watched because they can involve both criminal allegations and wider questions about state-linked activity inside the UK.

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The investigation also highlights the role of Counter Terrorism Policing in cases that do not necessarily involve an immediate public safety threat but are treated as matters of national security. Searches in both Birmingham and Liverpool suggest the inquiry has involved more than one location and a wider evidence-gathering process. The fact that the suspect is from Liverpool and was arrested in Birmingham indicates the case has crossed local policing boundaries.

It remains unclear what specific conduct is alleged to have amounted to assistance for Iran's intelligence service, and police have not given further detail because of the ongoing legal process. The next key development will be the court appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where the case is expected to move into the formal judicial stage. Further information is likely to depend on what is heard in court and whether prosecutors set out more of the alleged conduct.

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