U.S. Air Force / Master Sgt. Theodore Daigle
Federal prosecutors unsealed an eight-count superseding indictment Tuesday charging three alleged Iran-backed operatives with terrorism-related offenses tied to nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, including a newly detailed plot against RAF Fairford in Britain.
The Justice Department’s November 10 announcement identifies the defendants as Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani. Prosecutors allege they acted in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Kata’ib Hizballah, both U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.
The allegations include attacks targeting Jewish communities in Europe and an attempt to target a synagogue in Manhattan. The new indictment also describes a September 2026 plot against RAF Fairford, where U.S. military aircraft and personnel were stationed.
Prosecutors allege al-Hassani directed associates in Britain to conduct surveillance and make preparations for the Fairford plot, while al-Hassani and Mohajeri were in Iran. Al-Saadi allegedly tried to coordinate with them from federal custody in New York by passing coded messages through third parties.
According to the department, British authorities recovered three vans and arrested their occupants in late September after at least two vans encountered a security roadblock near the base. Those arrests are separate from Tuesday’s unsealing of the charges against the three named defendants.
Al-Saadi was arrested abroad in May and transferred to the United States, where he has remained in federal custody awaiting trial, the department said. The announcement does not state the current custody status of Mohajeri or al-Hassani.
The department alleges the defendants were involved in a network operating under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI, which prosecutors describe as a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and other designated terrorist organizations. HAYI claimed responsibility for 18 attacks in Europe during spring 2026, including seven in Britain, according to the announcement.
The superseding indictment includes conspiracy and material-support charges, a conspiracy to bomb a place of public use, and financing terrorism. Some charges apply only to al-Saadi.
The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
JBizNews Desk | Global Affairs
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