By hannover-web.com Daniel Khalife, a former member of the Royal Signals, is currently facing trial on charges of allegedly stealing sensitive UK military secrets to aid Iranian intelligence. The court proceedings have revealed troubling details about his activities, including a trip to Turkey where he reportedly left a package intended for Iranian agents.
Throughout the trial, communications believed to be between Khalife and foreign handlers were introduced as evidence. One notable message expressed eagerness for a meeting in Tehran, stating, “We look forward to seeing you in Tehran… pal.” At 23, Khalife, who served in a role focused on communications, IT, and cyber support within the military, claimed he intended to travel to Tehran under the guise of a tourist in 2020 but described how those plans fell through.
In addition to the espionage charges, Khalife is also accused of escaping from Wandsworth prison in southwest London last year. Evidence indicates he offered to serve as a mole for Iran within the British army, suggesting a commitment of more than 25 years. In a conversation over the encrypted Telegram app with an individual using the alias David Smith, Khalife stated, “Absolutely, I won’t leave the military until you tell me to… 25+ years.”
The prosecution has outlined Khalife’s alleged theft of sensitive UK military cryptographic materials and images of advanced communications equipment used by British special forces. He reportedly compiled a spreadsheet containing detailed information about UK military personnel, including identities and promotions of special forces members. After inquiring with his Iranian contacts about specific units of interest, Khalife submitted a handwritten list of soldiers, which was presented in court as evidence.
Mark Heywood KC, representing the prosecution, emphasized the gravity of Khalife’s alleged actions, stating, “He was eliciting information that could be useful to someone hostile to the United Kingdom, for example, a terrorist.”
The trial also disclosed that Khalife’s ties to Iranian intelligence deepened during his deployment at Fort Hood, a key US military base in Texas, where he purportedly continued gathering intelligence and taking photographs.
Further evidence presented in court revealed that in 2019, Khalife allegedly reached out to a prominent figure linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Following this contact, he received an envelope containing £1,500 from his Iranian handlers, which was disguised in a dog waste bag in a North London park. This event occurred shortly after he had passed his security clearance as a soldier; he was documented retrieving the bag, characterized by a paw and bone design, and even taking a selfie.
The court learned that the day after retrieving the money, Khalife, who has an Iranian mother, began making arrangements for a new passport and discussed booking a flight and hotel in Turkey to facilitate a meeting with Iranian agents, aiming to disguise it as a vacation. He subsequently flew to Istanbul and spent six days at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti.
In a dramatic twist, Khalife is also accused of escaping from HMP Wandsworth while awaiting trial on terrorism and espionage charges by hiding under a food delivery lorry.
Khalife faces charges of gathering, publishing, or communicating information advantageous to an enemy, specifically Iranian intelligence, in violation of the Official Secrets Act, covering the period from May 1, 2019, to January 6, 2022. Additionally, he is accused of attempting to extract personal information about armed forces personnel from a Ministry of Defence administrative system in August 2021. He denies all allegations, and the trial is still in progress.
