Iran-linked Press TV used as cover for spy network targeting Jews, Israelis in London - report

An Iranian regime-linked spy network has reportedly used the Iranian state-controlled Press TV news outlet as a cover for covert operations in London, The Jerusalem Post learned on Monday. The story was first reported by the London-based Telegraph.

According to an anonymous source familiar with the matter, the network has focused on intelligence gathering and propaganda in the British capital. Operatives allegedly used their journalist credentials to identify potential recruitment targets. While Press TV has been banned from YouTube and lost its UK broadcast license, the outlet continues to publish content on social media, including commentary critical of the West and Jewish communities.

The source added that the Iranian regime has taken advantage of what it views as a “permissive environment” in the UK to conduct covert spy operations. Press TV is said to have provided Tehran with a “target list” for potential attacks, including critics of the Iranian government and members of Britain’s Jewish community.

Jonathan Hackett, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran specializing in counterintelligence, told The Telegraph that some Press TV journalists were using their credentials to spot potential targets for recruitment. “They do a lot of early work, being out talking to people,” Hackett said. “It is great if you have a journalist cover, as it makes sense to talk to people. It also provides more access to UK government officials.”

The Community Security Trust, a British charity tasked with protecting Jewish institutions, reported that Press TV repeatedly covered local Jewish schools and explicitly named 14 Jewish charities, labeling them as “known to be genocidal Zionist organizations.”

Terrorism and security expert Roger Macmillan, who previously worked for the Iranian anti-regime news outlet Iran International, revealed that Press TV is part of a wider network of Tehran regime-linked companies that operate in London.

Macmillan warned that these organizations are not on any official sanctions list and are led by individuals who embrace the goals of the ayatollah regime in Tehran. He also said that Press TV spreads “vile antisemitic” content that could incite attacks against Jewish institutions in the UK.

Last May, British Police arrested four Iranians who reportedly planned to carry out a terrorist attack against the Israeli embassy in London.

In October 2024, a European investigation used documentation from multiple intelligence agencies and found that the Iranian regime has extensively employed criminal networks to target Jews and Israelis across Europe.

British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat previously warned that the regime was actively recruiting criminals to spy on British Jews and Israelis, adding, I do not issue these warnings lightly.”