Overview
- Counter Terrorism Policing London arrested 39‑year‑old Vahid Aberi in the Birmingham area and carried out searches in Birmingham and Liverpool, and police say the investigation relates to Iran.
- The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges under section 3(1) and (9) of the National Security Act 2023 that criminalise assisting a foreign intelligence service, and Aberi was remanded to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
- Police say they have not identified any direct threat to the public or to a community in this investigation and described the action as disruption of suspected activity linked to a foreign intelligence service.
- The arrest and charge follow a recent uptick in UK cases tied to Iran‑linked activity and government steps this week to restrict support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- The case shows authorities are increasingly using the new national security powers to investigate alleged foreign intelligence networks in the UK and could lead to further arrests or prosecutions as inquiries continue.