U.S. prosecutors have formally charged three men with plotting a "campaign of terror" aimed at Jewish communities throughout Europe and the United States, as well as Britain’s RAF Fairford airbase.
Alleged Plot Details
The indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court names an Iranian-Iraqi dual national, an Iranian national, and an Iraqi national. Only the dual national is currently in U.S. custody.
According to the charges, the defendants coordinated nearly 20 attacks through a network of contacts in Britain, allegedly acting on behalf of Iran-aligned terrorist organizations including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Kata'ib Hizballah—both designated foreign terrorist organizations by the United States.
One defendant, described as a Kata'ib Hizballah commander, reportedly used coded messages sent from jail to relatives to arrange payments for individuals who could carry out attacks. Prosecutors allege he continued coordinating with co-defendants days before the Fairford incident occurred.
Fairford Incident
In late September, UK authorities detained several men following a "major incident" near the RAF Fairford military compound. Suspicious vehicles were reported approaching the base, prompting officials to establish a safety zone and evacuate nearby homes.
The response included dispatching strong security forces and a bomb disposal unit. Five people were arrested in connection with the event.
British prosecutors separately charged two 24-year-old individuals under the National Security Act in October—one accused of assisting Iran’s intelligence service and granted conditional bail; the other facing charges for entering a prohibited location for purposes prejudicial to national security, linked to an alleged reconnaissance visit to Fairford in August. The latter was remanded in custody.
U.S. Response
In direct consequence of the incident, the United States has withdrawn its bombers from RAF Fairford, which had been used as a base for operations targeting Iran.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that these defendants helped orchestrate attacks on behalf of terrorist organizations affiliated with Iran. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said: "These defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror on behalf of terrorist organizations affiliated with Iran."
British authorities have linked the alleged Fairford plot to Tehran, though Iranian officials denied any involvement in the events.