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The US Justice Department has unsealed an eight-count indictment charging three men with terrorism-related offences linked to an alleged plot at RAF Fairford and attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the US.
By Hermes Vector
The US Department of Justice has charged three men with terrorism-related offences over an alleged Iran-backed campaign that included a plot at RAF Fairford in the UK and attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the US.
The indictment, unsealed in Manhattan Federal Court, names Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national. Only al-Saadi is in US custody.
The DOJ said the men operated on behalf of an Iran-aligned network involving Kataib Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both designated terrorist organisations by Washington.
Prosecutors allege that al-Hassani orchestrated a plot against RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in September, recruiting associates in Britain to conduct surveillance of the base and arrange logistics for an attempted attack.
A major incident was declared on 27 September near RAF Fairford after three suspicious vans were seen near the airbase. No explosive materials were found in the vans, but a quantity of petrol was seized.
The DOJ said that in August, al-Hassani "allegedly directed and paid associates" in the UK to "conduct preparatory steps and arrange logistics for the RAF Fairford terrorist plot". On 22 August, al-Hassani paid one individual to "perform pre-operational surveillance of RAF Fairford's perimeter".
The DOJ also said al-Hassani was "in frequent communication" with the van drivers and helped to direct them where to drive.
The indictment links the defendants to a campaign of attacks against Jewish communities in Europe during the spring of 2026. These included arson and explosives attacks, as well as a near-fatal stabbing in London in which two Jewish men, including a dual US-British citizen, were seriously injured.
"Of the 18 terrorist attacks in the spring of 2026 for which HAYI claimed responsibility in Europe, seven took place in the UK," the DOJ statement said.
Iran has strongly denied any involvement in the RAF Fairford incident. The Iranian embassy in London has said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" what it called "unfounded and malicious speculations" linking Iran to the incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel said: "This eight-count indictment shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the US."
US Attorney-General Todd Blanche said: "Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American service members will be prosecuted by the United States government."
The US withdrew all its bombers from RAF Fairford after the incident, with President Donald Trump citing "some threats" to the base as the reason.
The case connects an alleged Iranian-backed network to an attempted attack on a UK airbase hosting US forces and to a series of attacks on Jewish communities in Europe. The US has relocated aircraft from RAF Fairford and, separately, from RAF Mildenhall in eastern England, citing threats.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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