US charges three Iran-backed suspects over plots including RAF Fairford
Prosecutors say the men directed attacks in Europe and the US, with Tehran rejecting any role in the plots.
Key points
- US Department of Justice charged three men linked to Iran-backed groups
- Prosecutors allege 18 attacks and attempted attacks in the US and Europe
- Prosecutors tie the alleged plot to RAF Fairford, the site of a 27 September emergency response
- UK authorities have detained seven men over the Fairford events
- Tehran rejects any link to the allegations
The US Department of Justice has charged three men it says were linked to Iran-backed operatives. According to BBC News, the charges relate to a series of plots in the United States and Europe. Prosecutors allege the men took part in a total of 18 assaults and efforts to carry them out, with locations such as London, Amsterdam and Paris among them.
The three men are Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri, Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, and Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, who holds both Iranian and Iraqi citizenship. Charging papers made public on Tuesday name them. Prosecutors link the operations to a militant network, HAYI, whose full title is Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya.
The alleged plot at RAF Fairford
The DOJ says al-Hassani was behind the most recent attack, a plot against RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. US troops have been stationed at the UK base. Authorities treated 27 September as a serious incident after suspicious vans were reported close to the site.
Prosecutors say al-Hassani paid several people to watch the base and prepare for the plot. The vans were allegedly disguised to resemble vehicles from a petrol distributor and a company that supplies pool equipment. A local farmer reportedly spotted the vans in the early hours of 27 September and alerted police.
Officers did not discover any explosive substances in the vehicles, yet they took possession of some petrol. UK authorities have detained seven men over the Fairford events.
Attacks in London, Amsterdam and Paris
The indictment places seven of the 18 spring 2026 attacks in the UK. Prosecutors describe arson, explosives and, in one case, a stabbing in London that came close to killing two Jewish men. That attack took place in Golders Green in April. Court proceedings for one suspect are expected in the coming year.
Other incidents in the indictment include an arson attack on a building previously used by a Jewish educational charity in Hendon on 17 April. On 18 April, Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow was hit by arson. A 17-year-old boy has admitted guilt over the Harrow attack this year.
The charges also cover attacks on a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam and a Bank of America building in Paris. Prosecutors further say the group tried to target Jewish institutions in the US, including a synagogue in Manhattan.
Custody and next steps
Al-Saadi is held in a New York prison and waiting for trial on older charges, having been detained in August. US court records list a 19 November appearance for him. It is unclear whether that hearing concerns the new case or the earlier one. Sources told CBS News that Mohajeri and al-Hassani are not in custody. The BBC has asked the DOJ about their whereabouts.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the indictment showed Iran’s determination to carry out attacks in Europe and the US. He said one of the accused had sent coded messages from detention to help plan future violence. Patel linked the suspects to nearly 20 attempted attacks carried out for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah.
Iran has rejected the allegations. The Iranian embassy in London called the claims unfounded and malicious. The US has pulled its bombers out of RAF Fairford, with President Donald Trump citing threats to the base.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the three men charged in the US?
They are Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri, Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, and dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi. The Department of Justice says they were involved in Iran-backed plots.
What happened at RAF Fairford?
A major incident was declared on 27 September after suspicious vans were seen near the base in Gloucestershire. Officers found no explosives, though they seized fuel. Seven men have been arrested in the UK.
Has Iran responded to the charges?
Iran has strongly denied any involvement. The Iranian embassy in London said it categorically rejects and condemns what it called unfounded and malicious speculation.
Sources
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