The US Department of Justice has charged three individuals allegedly backed by Iran who are suspected of plotting a series of attacks in the United States and Europe.
According to the department, Iranian operatives recently orchestrated a terrorist plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British military airbase that also hosted US troops and fighter jets. The indictment alleges that they were involved in organizing an incident near the base in September.
One of the defendants, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen, contacted his associates in the United Kingdom from a New York prison while awaiting trial on separate charges. The other two defendants, Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri and Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hasani, allegedly carried out similar activities from Iran.
They are accused of plotting attacks across Europe under the name of a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI). According to the US Department of Justice, of the 18 attacks carried out in Europe in the spring of 2026 and claimed by the group, seven took place in the United Kingdom. These included arson attacks, the use of explosives, and the stabbing of two Jewish men in London.
The two men were stabbed in April in Golders Green, north London. The suspect is due to stand trial next year.
Iran has categorically denied any involvement in the incident at RAF Fairford. Following the incident, seven men were arrested in the United Kingdom, while the United States withdrew its fighter jets from the base. All American bombers had also been removed from the site earlier. US President Donald Trump said the fighter jets had been relocated because of the threat.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the indictment demonstrates Iran's determination to carry out attacks in Europe and the United States. According to him, one of the defendants allegedly sent coded messages from a detention facility to support further acts of violence. Patel also said the three individuals had been involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks targeting the interests of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iran-backed Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah.
What makes this case notable is that US law enforcement officials are presenting the activities of individuals in different countries as part of a single network. The charges are based not only on the incident near the airbase but also on alleged links between attacks recorded across Europe and the activities of the group that claimed responsibility for them.
However, an indictment is not a court verdict. It is particularly important to distinguish between the allegations made by US authorities and Iran's official position, as Tehran denies any involvement in the Fairford incident. The evidence presented against the defendants must be examined in court, while the nature of their alleged connections will have to be established during the trial.
The case also draws attention to the fact that, according to the US authorities, the suspected activities continued even while one of the defendants was in custody. If the court confirms these allegations, they would illustrate how complicated it can be to organize cross-border operations and monitor communications.
