Former Soldier Accused of Spying Claims He “Sabotaged” Iran Travel Operation

Daniel Khalife, a former British Army soldier facing accusations of espionage for Iran and prison escape, informed a court that he consented to travel to the Middle Eastern nation but “purposefully sabotaged the operation.” During his testimony at Woolwich Crown Court, Daniel Khalife stated that he traveled by air to Turkey in August 2020, with the intention of continuing his journey to Tehran. However, Mr. Khalife claimed he informed his Iranian contacts that he was too apprehensive to proceed. Prosecutors contend that Mr. Khalife gathered sensitive military intelligence for Iran and subsequently escaped Wandsworth prison in south-west London on 6 September 2023, by concealing himself beneath a food truck. He refutes these accusations. On Thursday, Mr. Khalife testified in court that his handlers had desired his presence in the Iranian capital, explaining that “it was standard procedure for assets to go to the state.” At that time, he was 18 years old and a serving member of the British Army. Mr. Khalife informed the court, stating, “I knew the only way I could travel without a visa was by an airline called Mahan Air which is owned by the IRGC,” clarifying that the IRGC refers to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a component of the Iranian armed forces. The jury was informed that upon reaching Istanbul, he communicated to his handlers that he was too “afraid” to fly to Iran, citing the aircraft’s age of “30 years old.” Mr. Khalife stated that his actual concern was the potential repercussions if his handlers discovered that the information he had provided was “entirely fictitious.” He conveyed to the court, “I felt this would be dangerous.” Earlier in the trial, it was revealed that law enforcement discovered “completely fake” documents in Mr. Khalife’s room, which claimed to originate from Members of Parliament, high-ranking military officers, and security agencies. Mr. Khalife transmitted a video of himself at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti hotel to his handlers after they grew suspicious that he might not have actually journeyed to Turkey. He further stated that they dispatched an individual “to scope [him] out” in a vehicle. Following his return to the UK, Mr. Khalife sent an audio message to his initial Iranian contact, stating: “I delivered a package to them, which I don’t think I should tell you – but just don’t mention it to anyone.” He informed the London court that he had “of course” not delivered any package. Mr. Khalife additionally addressed photographs found on his phone that were presented as evidence against him, asserting that some had been sent to him via WhatsApp by his British troop commander. He contended that the 12 images, which prosecution experts indicated “could be of use to a foreign state,” were screenshots from an internal communication system, distributed to him and other soldiers by his captain as instructions. The jury had previously been informed that the Army’s protocol did not permit the use of WhatsApp for issuing orders. Mr. Khalife stated to the court, “At the time it was quite frustrating to get so many images coming onto a device.” He explained that the commander “couldn’t be bothered to write the actual message out” and instead transmitted a screenshot from MoDNet, the Army’s communication system. When questioned about a different image on his phone, sent by an officer, he responded: “The only reason this was on my device is because they sent it to me.” Mr. Khalife indicated that certain other photographs on his phone were self-taken, as he had been instructed to forward them to higher-ranking soldiers via WhatsApp. His defense barrister, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, inquired: “Were you ever told off, rebuked or disciplined for doing that?” Mr. Khalife replied, “On the contrary,” adding, “I was encouraged.” The 23-year-old further stated that he had obtained a WhatsApp list detailing all soldiers promoted to sergeant, which encompassed 15 individuals within the Special Forces. Special Forces personnel are designated as the Army’s “protected population”; however, Mr. Khalife described how he could ascertain their first names by inputting their surnames into an Army leave-booking system. He remarked, “You would put in a last name and a very long list of information would come out. A clear flaw.” The jury was informed that Mr. Khalife believed British security services would be “impressed” by his discovery. He asserted, “I was the only person in the Ministry of Defence who discovered this flaw,” and specified that he had only searched the names of seven officers. He added, “It was a way of advertising my skillset.” Prosecutors contend that Mr. Khalife received payment from the Iranian intelligence service for confidential information collected during his military service. Mr. Khalife stated that he had “always had a gift for exposing flaws in security.” On Wednesday, the jury learned that at age 15, Mr. Khalife had used a powerful magnet to detach shop security tags, leading to police involvement for shoplifting. Mr. Khalife denies charges of gathering and transmitting information to an adversary, specifically Iran. He also denies possessing a list of special forces soldiers potentially useful to terrorists, carrying out a bomb hoax at his barracks, and escaping from Wandsworth Prison. His testimony and the trial are ongoing.