The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced charges against three suspects it alleges are connected to Iran and participated in a series of plots targeting European and American locations.
Alleged Plot at RAF Fairford
A major incident occurred on 27 September at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base in Gloucestershire, England. Three suspicious vans were observed near the facility after which police responded. No explosive materials were discovered inside the vehicles, though a quantity of petrol was confiscated.
According to the DOJ statement, Mohammad Ali al-Hassani—an Iraqi national—allegedly directed associates in the UK to conduct preparatory steps for what it describes as a terrorist plot at RAF Fairford. On 22 August, he reportedly paid someone to perform pre-operational surveillance of the airbase perimeter. By late September, al-Hassani had arranged for multiple individuals to assist with logistics, including procuring fuel delivery vans and barrels of fuel, researching chemical accelerants such as potassium chloride, and acquiring metallic objects that could serve as explosive shrapnel.
The suspects allegedly gave the vehicles an appearance consistent with legitimate commercial operations—a fuel delivery business and a swimming pool supply company—to avoid detection. On 26 September, al-Hassani is said to have tasked drivers with transporting three vans toward RAF Fairford’s perimeter. At least two of these vans encountered security roadblocks en route and were denied passage.
It was at approximately 03:00 on 27 September—just before dawn—that one of the farmers spotted the vans while returning home from a party and alerted authorities. The incident triggered a major counter-terrorism response, including the deployment of armed police officers outside the base.
Charges Against Suspects
The DOJ has charged:
- Mohsen Mohajeri (Iranian national)
- Mohammad Ali al-Hassani (Iraqi national)
- Modood Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi (dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen)
All three are accused of planning attacks under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), a purportedly new group with the pseudonym 'The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand'. The DOJ claims that HAYI claimed responsibility for 18 terrorist incidents in Europe during spring 2026, seven of which occurred in the UK. These included arsons and an incident on 3 April in Golders Green, north London, where two Jewish men were stabbed—among them a dual U.S.-British citizen.
The FBI has stated that one suspect allegedly sent coded messages from detention to assist future acts of violence. In a statement, FBI Director Kash Patel said: "This eight-count indictment shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States." He also noted that the suspects were involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah.
U.S. Response
In response to the incident, all U.S. bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford last month. President Donald Trump cited 'some threats' as justification for the withdrawal. The base has long served as a key location for U.S. Air Force operations—particularly B-1 and B-52 bomber deployments—to support defensive strikes against targets in Iran.
The Iranian embassy in London issued a statement on 30 September rejecting any link between Iran and the incident, calling it "unfounded and malicious speculations". It did not provide evidence or rebuttal of specific claims made by the DOJ.
Context
RAF Fairford is one of the UK’s most strategically significant military installations due to its proximity to central Europe and its role in hosting long-range bombers used for both strategic deterrence and rapid response operations. The base has been utilized by U.S. forces since at least the 1950s, including during recent deployments targeting Iranian positions in the Middle East.
The United States has previously stated that any facility used for aggression against Iran would be considered a legitimate target under international law—though this position remains contested internationally.