US Charges Three Iran-Backed Operatives in Plot Targeting UK Air Base

The United States has charged three men with ties to Iran in connection with a foiled plot to attack Royal Air Force Base Fairford in England, a facility used by US military aircraft. The superseding indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that the scheme was orchestrated from a US prison cell by Mohammad al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen who was arrested and brought to the US in May to face charges related to nearly 20 other terrorist attacks targeting Europe.

According to the Justice Department, al-Saadi used coded messages during phone calls with his mother and sister to communicate with his co-defendants, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad al-Hassani, both based in Iran. All three are believed to be part of a terror network linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The indictment claims that in August, al-Hassani directed and paid associates in the UK to conduct preparatory steps and arrange logistics, including surveillance of the air base.

The alleged co-conspirator also paid accomplices to acquire vans, barrels of fuel, chemical accelerants such as potassium chloride, and metal for use as shrapnel in bombs. The vans were reportedly decorated to resemble vehicles belonging to fuel and swimming pool businesses. Three vehicles were driven to RAF Fairford on September 26; two were stopped at a roadblock, and all three were seized by British authorities the following day.

British police arrested seven men following the security scare at the base and later released them on bail. The case had remained shrouded in mystery until the unsealing of this indictment. The charges underscore ongoing concerns about Iran-backed networks attempting to target Western military assets, even from behind bars.

The plot highlights the close cooperation between US and UK authorities in countering terrorism. The Justice Department's announcement sheds light on a previously undisclosed threat to a key NATO ally's installation. Further legal proceedings are expected as the case moves forward.