UK Charges Man With Assisting Iran's Intelligence Service

British police on Friday charged a 39-year-old man from Liverpool with assisting Iran's intelligence service, the latest in a series of cases investigated under the UK's national security laws. Counterterrorism officers searched properties in Liverpool and Birmingham as part of the investigation. Vahid Aberi is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court in London later on Friday.

British security officials have long warned that Tehran seeks to recruit criminal groups to carry out hostile activities on UK soil. Since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict, Britain has seen several antisemitic attacks linked to Iran. Earlier this week, the UK designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under new state-threat powers, making support for the group a criminal offence.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said investigators had not identified any direct threat to the public or to any specific community or individual in connection with the case. She added that national security investigations have increased significantly in recent years, requiring more frequent action to disrupt suspected activity linked to foreign intelligence services.

The Iranian Embassy in London has previously dismissed such allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

(Reuters, Max)