UK police charge man over Iran-related spying offenses, following ban on IRGC

British police have charged Vahid Aberi, 39, from Liverpool, with assisting Iran's intelligence service. This follows a series of incidents and warnings from UK security officials about Iran's alleged use of proxies for hostile activities, including antisemitic attacks. The UK recently banned support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to counter state-sponsored proxy use. Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, stated, "We have seen a significant and sustained increase in the tempo of our work in national security investigations in recent years." Aberi is scheduled to appear in court in London. Iran's embassy in London has previously rejected such accusations as "unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations."