The US Department of Justice has indicted three suspected Iranian-linked operatives on charges of orchestrating a series of plots and planned attacks in the US and Europe, including an attempted attack on the British air base RAF Fairford.
According to the US Department of Justice, Iranian agents are suspected of organizing a terrorist plot near a military base in Britain where US forces were stationed. The incident was recorded in September, after three suspicious vans were found near the base.
The three accused are Iranian citizen Mohsen Mohajeri, Iraqi citizen Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, and dual Iranian and Iraqi citizen Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi.
According to the indictment, al-Saadi is suspected of communicating with people in Britain from a prison in New York, where he is awaiting trial on previous charges, while the other two suspects made the communications from Iran.
The US Department of Justice alleges that the three defendants planned attacks in several European countries, which were claimed by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI).
According to US authorities, of the 18 terrorist attacks for which the group claimed responsibility in the spring of 2026 in Europe, seven occurred in Britain. The attacks included arson, the use of explosives and, in one case, a stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London, one of whom had both US and British citizenship.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the eight-count indictment shows, according to him, Iran's efforts to organize terrorist attacks in Europe and the US.
He added that the suspects are believed to have been involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks in support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah militia, which is backed by Tehran.
Details from the RAF Fairford plot
According to US investigations, in August, al-Hassani allegedly instructed and financed individuals in Britain to carry out preliminary actions and provide logistics for the attack on RAF Fairford base.
On August 22, he allegedly paid someone to monitor the perimeter of the military base. In September, according to the indictment, vans and fuel drums were secured, while searches were conducted to purchase chemical accelerants and metal objects that could be used as explosive fragments.
The three vans were allegedly disguised as vehicles belonging to a fuel supply company and a business that supplied swimming pools.
On September 26, the individuals involved were allegedly instructed to drive their vehicles towards RAF Fairford. At least two of them were stopped by a security checkpoint and failed to follow the intended route.
In the early hours of September 27, the three vans were spotted by a local farmer returning home from a party and alerted the police. No explosives were found in the vehicles, but authorities seized a quantity of gasoline.
Meanwhile, Iran has categorically denied any involvement in the incident. The Iranian embassy in London has described the claims linking Tehran to the incident as baseless and malicious speculation.
Following the incident, the US withdrew all its bombers from RAF Fairford. President Donald Trump had cited threats to the base as the reason for the decision.
RAF Fairford has been used for decades by the US Air Force and in recent months has served as a deployment point for B-1 and B-52 bombers, which have been engaged in operations in the Middle East.
