A 39-year-old British-Iranian national, Vahid Aberi, is set to stand trial after allegedly volunteering to spy for Iran's intelligence services. Aberi, from Liverpool, is accused of offering his services as a "humble servant" to his "dear compatriots" in Islamic Iran.
Court documents indicate that Aberi is alleged to have exchanged messages in Farsi with an individual he believed to be a legitimate Iranian operative based in the UK. This communication was reportedly part of an effort to establish contact with the Quds Force, the overseas operations division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Aberi allegedly proposed actions such as traveling to London to scout storage locations, acquiring a burner phone, and collecting packages.
However, Aberi was reportedly unaware that he was communicating with an undercover officer from UK Counter Terror Policing. He appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from Wormwood Scrubs for a preliminary hearing. The charge against him is one count of engaging in conduct intended to assist a foreign intelligence service between December 17, 2025, and July 16, 2026, in violation of the National Security Act.
Prosecutor Joe Allman stated in court that Aberi engaged in conduct to "materially assist" Iranian intelligence services within the UK. Following a port stop at Stansted Airport, Aberi allegedly agreed to a series of activities, including setting up a new email address, purchasing a new phone, completing a questionnaire, and traveling to London to collect a burner phone. On July 15, Aberi was arrested, and a burgundy bag, reportedly containing a drone and the subject of role-player activities, was recovered from his car.
Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb scheduled the trial to be heard by a High Court judge at Preston Crown Court. Aberi intends to deny the allegations. A provisional trial date has been set for February 15, 2027, with a plea hearing scheduled for December 4, 2026, at the Old Bailey. Aberi was remanded into custody following the 30-minute hearing. The IRGC is described as a violent, Islamist-extremist organization founded to defend the Islamic Republic of Iran's core values.