RAF Fairford Terror Plot: US Charges Three Iran-Backed Operatives in Court

Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged three alleged Iran-backed operatives over a sweeping campaign of nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, including a planned assault on RAF Fairford, the British air base that hosted American B-1 bombers. The RAF Fairford terror plot, laid out in a superseding indictment unsealed on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in Manhattan federal court, is alleged to have been directed from inside a federal jail in Brooklyn, New York, through coded messages passed to relatives in Iraq.

Key Points

• US prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, charging three alleged Iran-backed operatives with involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the US.
• The defendants are Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national described as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operative; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national.
• The alleged network carried out the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, the firebombing of a London synagogue and an attempted bombing of a synagogue in New York.
• The indictment also covers a planned assault on RAF Fairford in England, about 100 miles west of London, where US B-1 bombers and troops had been stationed.
• Al-Saadi allegedly directed the Fairford plot from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, using coded messages in phone calls to his mother and sister in Iraq.

What Happened

The superseding indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, accuses the three men of acting in support of Kata'ib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Iraqi militia, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Prosecutors say the network was responsible for a series of attacks on Jewish targets across Europe and the United States, and that its operatives were directed during live video calls, with propaganda footage distributed afterwards.

Among the attacks listed in the indictment are the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, the firebombing of a London synagogue and an attempted bombing of a synagogue in New York. Only al-Saadi is in US custody. He was arrested in Turkey in May 2026 and brought to the United States, and he has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges.

Background and Context

RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, is one of the most important American air bases in Britain. It has hosted US B-1 bombers and American troops, and it sits about 100 miles west of London. The base has been on heightened alert in recent weeks: all 12 B-1 bombers left Fairford last month over an Iran-backed plot, following the arrest of five British men outside the base in September.

The case lands against the backdrop of the eight-month US-Iran war, which began on February 28, 2026. US officials have repeatedly warned that Iran and its proxies could target American personnel and interests, and Britain has accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of hostile activity on British soil. Tehran has denied responsibility for the Fairford plot.

RAF Fairford Terror Plot: How the Plan Was Directed From a US Jail

According to prosecutors, al-Saadi directed the Fairford plot from inside the Metropolitan Detention Center, the federal jail in Brooklyn, New York, where he was being held. He is accused of using coded messages in phone calls to his mother and sister in Iraq to pass instructions to Mohajeri and al-Hassani. In one of those calls, prosecutors say, he told relatives to give al-Hassani money "so we can do it."

Al-Hassani is accused of directing and paying associates in the United Kingdom from August to conduct surveillance of the base and arrange logistics for the attack. Prosecutors say the plan involved vans filled with fuel, to be used as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. On September 26 and 27, 2026, British police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles driving toward RAF Fairford and arrested seven men. The men were later released on stringent conditions after no explosives were found. Two of them, Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24 and London residents, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on October 27, 2026, on offences under Britain's National Security Act and are due at London's Old Bailey on November 20.

Reactions and Quotes

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the operation was almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while Tehran has denied responsibility. The prime minister's assessment matches the picture in the US indictment, which places the alleged network under the direction of IRGC-linked figures and their allies in Kata'ib Hezbollah. Neither the US Justice Department nor the FBI has given further comment beyond the indictment, and no trial date has been set.

Why It Matters

The case matters for three reasons. First, it alleges a sustained, cross-border campaign of violence against Jewish communities, directed from abroad and carried out by local recruits in London and New York. Second, it puts a US air base in Britain at the centre of the Iran confrontation: RAF Fairford hosts American bombers and troops, and an attack there would have struck directly at the US-UK military alliance. Third, it shows the reach of the alleged network, which prosecutors say operated across Europe, the United States and the Middle East, using coded calls, cash payments and video direction to coordinate attacks.

What Happens Next

Al-Saadi remains in US custody and has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges. Prosecutors will now seek the extradition or arrest of Mohajeri and al-Hassani, who are not in American custody. The case will proceed in Manhattan federal court, where the superseding indictment adds the Fairford allegations to the earlier charges.

In Britain, the two London men charged under the National Security Act are due at the Old Bailey on November 20, and British police are expected to continue their investigation into the September arrests near Fairford.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the three men charged?

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national described as an IRGC operative; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national.

What is the RAF Fairford terror plot?

Prosecutors allege the three men planned an assault on RAF Fairford in England, a British base that hosted US B-1 bombers and troops, using vans filled with fuel as vehicle-borne explosive devices.

How was the plot allegedly directed?

Prosecutors say al-Saadi directed it from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, using coded messages in phone calls to his mother and sister in Iraq to pass instructions to the other two men.

What other attacks are alleged?

Nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the US, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, the firebombing of a London synagogue and an attempted bombing of a New York synagogue.

Is anyone in US custody?

Only al-Saadi, who was arrested in Turkey in May 2026 and brought to the US. He has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges.

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