US Charges Three Men for Allegedly Plotting Attack on UK Base

Federal prosecutors charged three men with plotting an Iran-backed attack on a British military base housing U.S. service members, capping an international terrorism case tied to nearly 20 strikes across Europe and the United States.

The Indictment and the RAF Fairford Plot

An eight-count superseding indictment unsealed in a New York court named Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national aged 32; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national aged 48; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, on terrorism-related charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“This eight-count indictment shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the U.S., including one plot that was recently prevented at RAF Fairfield, a British Royal Air Force Base where American forces were stationed,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

Five British men were arrested with suspected explosives near the base, which until recently housed the U.S. air force. In approximately September 2026, al-Hassani allegedly orchestrated the plot by tasking and paying associates in the United Kingdom to conduct preparatory steps and arrange logistics. On Aug. 22, al-Hassani paid one individual to perform pre-operational surveillance of RAF Fairford’s perimeter.

Prompted by al-Hassani, the suspects ordered tailored stickers and stuck them onto the vehicles to make them look like they belonged to a pool maintenance provider and a fuel transport company. On Sept. 26, al-Hassani reportedly directed operatives to pilot a trio of vans toward the RAF Fairford facility, with subsequent inspections revealing that certain vehicles held drums filled with fuel.

“As alleged, 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,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York.

At the time, Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said that one line of inquiry was whether individuals might have been working unknowingly on behalf of a foreign state.

Coordinating Attacks From Custody and Abroad

Al-Saadi has been held without bail since pleading not guilty in June to charges that he plotted at least 18 attacks. Prosecutors allege one of the men, already in custody, used phone calls to plot attacks from detention.

US Charges Three Men for Allegedly Plotting Attack on UK Base — Photo: inews.co.uk

While locked up and awaiting trial in the Southern District of New York on outstanding terrorism offenses, al-Saadi sought to synchronize actions with Mohajeri and al-Hassani by relaying ciphered notes via intermediaries from his cell.

The three defendants allegedly orchestrated a campaign of 18 terrorist attacks on Europe in the spring of 2026, including seven in the UK, involving arsons, explosives, and in one instance, a stabbing in London of two Jewish men. Al-Saadi and Mohajeri also helped create and publish online propaganda videos of these attacks.

Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government.

Todd Blanche, Attorney General