British Soldier Accused of Spying for the IRGC: I Hate the Islamic Republic

A former British soldier accused of passing sensitive information to individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) told the jury during his first court session on Wednesday, November 1, that he and his family oppose the Iranian government. According to the prosecutor, Daniel Abed Khalife is accused of gathering 'sensitive and sometimes classified' information for over two years between May 2019 and January 2022. The defendant claims he did this to become a double agent. Khalife was arrested in January 2022 at Stafford military base. After being released on bail, he escaped from his barracks and fled from Wandsworth prison in South London in September 2023. Three days later, he was arrested on a path beside a canal in West London. Daniel Abed Khalife said in court, 'I don't think I've ever met anyone living outside Iran who doesn't oppose the Iranian government.' He added, 'My mother hates the regime, and probably the country, and this applies to my whole family... My family and I are against the Iranian regime.' Khalife also spoke about his travels to Iran, where his mother was born, saying, 'Every day I was in that country, I wanted to go back; I hated it. I thought it was a terrible place: the weather, the government, the police, everything.' Daniel Khalife first contacted an Iranian intelligence officer through a Facebook message. The 23-year-old, who joined the army in September 2018, found and contacted Hamid Qashqavi, an individual linked to the IRGC, after reading news about his sanctions. As Khalife's relationship with Qashqavi and other Iranians progressed, he was told to go to a park in North London to collect £1,500 that was placed in a dog poop bag. Khalife took a photo of the bag containing the money and sent it to his Iranian contacts to prove he had received the money. He told police that he had created several 'fake documents' to convince the Iranians to trust him, including a letter from Ben Wallace, the former UK Defense Secretary, to the head of MI6. He also created a fake email account and contacted MI6, claiming he wanted to work as a 'double agent.' Khalife has denied all charges of espionage and prison escape. His trial at Woolwich Crown Court is ongoing.