The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced charges against three Iran-backed operatives accused of orchestrating a series of attacks and attempted plots across the United States and Europe. According to the DOJ, the suspects are linked to 18 attacks, including a recent incident near RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom.
Charges and International Targets
The unsealed indictment names Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri, Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, and dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi. The DOJ stated that the men acted for the group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the case demonstrates Iran’s determination to execute terrorist attacks in Europe and the US.
The suspects are accused of involvement in 18 attacks and attempted attacks in locations such as London, Amsterdam, and Paris, with some directed over FaceTime. Among the European incidents, the DOJ noted seven attacks in the UK, including arsons, explosives, and a near-fatal stabbing of two Jewish men in north London in April. The indictment also details an April arson attack on a Jewish educational charity building and a synagogue in London, as well as strikes on the Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam and the Bank of America building in Paris in March. Additionally, the trio allegedly attempted to target Jewish institutions in the US, including a synagogue in Manhattan.
The RAF Fairford Incident
The DOJ alleged that al-Hassani orchestrated a terrorist plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where US armed forces were stationed. In August, al-Hassani allegedly paid associates in the UK to conduct pre-operational surveillance of the base perimeter. By September, he reportedly paid individuals to procure vans, fuel barrels, chemical accelerants, and metallic objects intended as shrapnel, disguising the vehicles as fuel and swimming pool supply businesses.
On 26 September, drivers drove three vans toward the base under al-Hassani’s remote direction, though at least two encountered a security roadblock. A local farmer spotted the vehicles in the early hours of 27 September and alerted the police, leading to a major incident declaration. Seven men have been arrested in the UK in connection with the incident, and two British nationals appeared in court last month.
The Iranian embassy in London categorically rejected and strongly condemned the accusations as unfounded and malicious speculations. Two sources told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that Mohajeri and al-Hassani were in Iran at the time and are not in custody, while al-Saadi coordinated with them through third parties from a New York prison where he awaits trial on previous charges. Following the incident, the US withdrew all its bombers from RAF Fairford, with President Donald Trump citing security threats to the base.
