US Announces Charges Against Iran-Backed Operatives
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced charges against three Iran-backed operatives involved in a series of plots in the US and Europe.
The DOJ stated that Iranian agents recently "orchestrated a terrorist plot at an air force base in the United Kingdom," specifically referencing the incident near RAF Fairford in September, where US armed forces are stationed.
One individual, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, is accused of communicating with contacts in the UK from prison in New York, where he awaits trial on previous charges. The other two are alleged to have done the same from Iran.
Iran has denied any involvement in the RAF Fairford incident, which emerged when suspicious vans were spotted near the base. Seven men have been arrested in the UK in connection with this incident.
Mohsen Mohajeri, Mohammad Ali al-Hassani (Iraqi national), and Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi (dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen) were charged in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday, according to the DOJ.
The trio is accused of planning attacks in Europe under the guise of a new group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand - HAYI). The DOJ statement notes that HAYI claimed responsibility for 18 terrorist attacks in Europe in 2026, seven of which occurred in the UK. These attacks involved arsons, explosives, and a stabbing incident in London that nearly killed two Jewish men, including a dual US-British citizen.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the accused were involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks in support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. He added that one of the three "allegedly sent coded messages to assist in future acts of violence" from detention.
Patel further revealed that on August 22, al-Hassani paid an individual to conduct pre-operational surveillance of RAF Fairford's perimeter. In September, al-Hassani allegedly prepared for the plot by procuring vans, fuel barrels, chemical accelerants, and metallic objects for use as explosive shrapnel.
On September 26, al-Hassani directed individuals to drive three vans, which were later found to contain fuel barrels, towards the RAF Fairford base. At least two of the vans encountered a security roadblock and were not allowed to proceed. The following day, a local farmer spotted the vans and contacted the police, leading to the early hours of the counter-terror operation on September 27.