Three Iran-supported operatives were charged in a superseding indictment for plotting nearly 20 attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the U.S. and an assault on RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by the U.S. Air Force.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
U.S. authorities charged three men on Tuesday with being Iran-supported operatives who plotted nearly 20 attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, as well as a planned assault on a British airbase used by the U.S. Air Force.
The charges against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, were outlined in a superseding indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court. Only al-Saadi is in custody.
According to the indictment, the three men conspired to use a network of contacts in the United Kingdom to commit terrorist attacks on behalf of an Iran-aligned terrorist network, which included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Kata’ib Hizballah. Both groups have been designated by the U.S. government as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. prosecutors say al-Saadi was a Kata’ib Hizballah commander.
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said al-Saadi, who was arrested in the spring, continued to coordinate with his co-defendants in the days leading up to the attempted September terrorist plot at a British Royal Air Force Base in Fairford, United Kingdom, where U.S. bombers and troops had been stationed.
“These defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror on behalf of terrorist organizations affiliated with Iran that targeted Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, and the British military base, RAF Fairford, housing American service members,” McDonald said. “The threat presented by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups to America and our allies is not hypothetical — it is very real.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche said: “Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government.”
Five men were detained after midnight on Sept. 27 on suspected explosives and terrorism offenses after three suspicious vans were spotted traveling toward the base in western England. A sixth suspect, a British-Iranian dual national, was arrested several days later. All the men were released on bail. British authorities linked the incident to Tehran, and though Iran denied involvement, the arrests prompted the U.S. to withdraw its bombers that had been stationed there. The bombers were redeployed to their home bases in the United States.
In June, al-Saadi pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted at least 18 attacks in Europe in retaliation for the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. He called himself a “prisoner of war.” He has been held without bail since. His lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday on the latest development.
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.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
The US Justice Department charged three men it described as Iranian operatives over an alleged September terrorist plot at Britain's RAF Fairford airbase involving vans with fuel barrels.
A 41-year-old US Army soldier was arrested near Gloucester, England, under the National Security Act 2023 and remains in custody in London as UK and US authorities investigate.
