Three alleged operatives working on behalf of Iran-backed terrorist organizations have been indicted for their roles in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, including a September plot targeting a British air base where American military personnel were stationed.
The Justice Department announced Tuesday that Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, face an eight-count superseding indictment alleging they helped orchestrate attacks on Jewish communities and American interests in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hizballah. Both organizations are designated foreign terrorist organizations by the United States.
The most recent alleged plot targeted Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, which housed U.S. military aircraft and personnel. Prosecutors allege that al-Hassani coordinated the operation from Iran, recruiting and paying associates in Britain to conduct surveillance, acquire vehicles, and prepare materials for an attack.
The indictment alleges that al-Hassani arranged for associates to obtain three vans, barrels of fuel, chemical accelerants, and metal objects that could be used as shrapnel. The vehicles were fitted with custom decals designed to make them appear to belong to a fuel delivery company and a swimming pool supply business.
On September 26, al-Hassani allegedly directed three vans toward the air base, communicating with their drivers as they approached. At least two vehicles encountered a security checkpoint and were unable to proceed along their intended routes. British authorities recovered all three vans in the early hours of September 27 and arrested their occupants.
The indictment describes an alleged conspiracy that continued even after one of its central figures, al-Saadi, was arrested Turkey in May and transferred to the United States to face terrorism charges. While imprisoned in New York awaiting trial, al-Saadi allegedly used phone calls with his mother and sister in Iraq to relay coded messages to Mohajeri and al-Hassani.
In one call, al-Saadi allegedly asked whether the group’s previous “work” had been canceled or merely put on pause. His sister reportedly responded that “it isn’t cancelled.” Prosecutors say al-Saadi used the word “work” as a reference to terrorist activity.
On September 24, three days before British authorities recovered the vans, al-Saadi allegedly asked his family about al-Hassani and instructed them to “give him money so we can do it.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment demonstrates the administration’s determination to prosecute anyone involved in targeting American military personnel.
“Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American service members will be prosecuted by the United States government,” Blanche said. He added that al-Saadi allegedly coordinated with his co-defendants in the days leading up to the attempted attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the case exposed the reach of Iran-backed terrorist networks and their willingness to target American interests overseas.
“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 Fairford,” Patel said.
The air base plot was only the latest alleged operation involving the three men. Prosecutors say the network carried out or attempted approximately 18 attacks across Europe during the spring of 2026 under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI, which authorities describe as a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and other terrorist organizations.
Seven of those attacks reportedly took place in the United Kingdom, more than in any other European country. The incidents included arson, explosives, and a near-fatal stabbing in London that targeted two Jewish men, one of whom holds dual U.S. and British citizenship.
The indictment describes the defendants allegedly directing attacks remotely, including through live video calls. On April 17, al-Saadi, al-Hassani, and Mohajeri allegedly watched an attack unfold over FaceTime, with al-Hassani instructing the individual carrying it out to ignite and throw incendiary devices. Al-Saadi allegedly recorded the attack, while Mohajeri filmed the men directing it.
The following day, al-Hassani allegedly guided another attacker targeting a London synagogue, telling him to “light it up like a Christmas tree” before the individual ignited and threw an improvised explosive device at the building.
Al-Saadi had previously been charged in May with providing material support to terrorist organizations and participating in plans for attacks in Europe and an attempted bombing of a synagogue in Manhattan. The new indictment adds allegations involving the other two defendants and the RAF Fairford operation.
“Today marks a major disruption of an alleged global terrorism conspiracy,” said M. Scott Proctor, acting principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “No matter where they are in the world, the National Security Division of the Department of Justice will pursue those who target American citizens and American interests.”
Al-Saadi remains in federal custody in New York. Mohajeri and al-Hassani were reportedly in Iran when the RAF Fairford plot was organized, and neither is in U.S. custody.
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