Getty ImagesThe US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced charges against three Iran-backed operatives that it alleges were involved in a string of plots in the US and Europe.
The DOJ said Iranian agents most recently “orchestrated a terrorist plot at an air force base in the United Kingdom”, saying they were involved in the major incident in September near RAF Fairford in the UK, where US armed forces were stationed.
The three men have been accused by the DOJ of being involved in 18 attacks and attempted attacks, including in London, Amsterdam and Paris. Some of the incidents were said to be directed by the men over FaceTime.
The DOJ said they acted in the name of the group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI).
The DOJ said that most recently, al-Hassani “orchestrated a terrorist plot” at RAF Fairford – where on 27 September a major incident was declared after suspicious vans were reported near the base.
Seven men have been arrested in the UK over the incident at RAF Fairford.
Iran has strongly denied any involvement.
Al-Hassani and Mohajeri, who were allegedly both in Iran at the time of the incident, the indictment claims.
Meanwhile, al-Saadi was coordinating with the pair through third parties from a prison in New York, where he is awaiting trial on previous charges after being arrested in August, it adds.
Department of JusticeMohajeri and al-Hassani are not in custody, two sources told the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
“Of the 18 terrorist attacks in the spring of 2026 for which HAYI claimed responsibility in Europe, seven took place in the UK,” the DOJ statement said. It added that the attacks involved “arsons, explosives, and in one instance, a near-fatal stabbing in London of two Jewish men, including a dual US-British citizen”.
Two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in April. A suspect is due to stand trial next year.
The indictment also details an arson attack on a Jewish charity in London on 17 April, which allegedly saw al-Hassani “directing” an individual over FaceTime.
On 17 April , a building previously used by Jewish Futures, an educational charity, was set alight in Hendon, north-west London.
The following day, the DOJ said al-Hassani participated in another video call with an individual carrying out an attack on a synagogue in London.
On 18 April, Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow was targeted in an arson attack. A 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to the incident earlier this year.
Department of JusticeThe indictment also claims the three were involved in attacks on the Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam on 15 March and on the Bank of America building in Paris on 28 March.
It added that the trio tried to carry out attacks on “Jewish institutions in the US”, including attempting to target a synagogue in Manhattan, New York in March or April.
“This eight-count indictment shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the US,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
He added that one of the three “allegedly sent coded messages to assist in future acts of violence” from detention.
Patel said the accused were involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah.
Getty ImagesRAF Fairford
A major incident was declared on 27 September near the UK’s RAF Fairford base, in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, after three suspicious vans were seen near the airbase.
No explosive materials were found in the vans, but a quantity of petrol was seized.
The DOJ said that in August, al-Hassani “allegedly directed and paid associates” in the UK to “conduct preparatory steps and arrange logistics for the RAF Fairford terrorist plot”.
On 22 August, al-Hassani paid one individual to “perform pre-operational surveillance of RAF Fairford’s perimeter”, the department said.
In September, al-Hassani paid several people to help him prepare for the plot, the DOJ also alleged.
According to its statement, this included “procuring vans and barrels of fuel, researching the purchase of chemical accelerants, including large quantities of potassium chloride, and purchasing metallic objects that could be used as explosive shrapnel”.
The suspects then gave the vans an appearance of being used by a fuel delivery business and a swimming pool supply business, the DOJ stated.
“On 26 September, al-Hassani allegedly tasked individuals to drive three vans, some of which were later determined to contain barrels of fuel, to the RAF Fairford base.”
The DOJ also said al-Hassani was “in frequent communication” with the van drivers and helped to direct them where to drive.
“At least two of the three vans, while en route to the perimeter of RAF Fairford, encountered a security roadblock and were not allowed to proceed on their intended route,” it added.
It was in the very early hours of 27 September, that the vans were spotted by a local farmer who was heading home from a party, and called the police.
The Iranian embassy in London has said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called “unfounded and malicious speculations” linking Iran to the incident.
Two British nationals appeared in court last month in connection with the alleged Iran-linked plot.
The US withdrew all its bombers from RAF Fairford after the incident, with President Donald Trump citing “some threats” to the base as the reason.
RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force (USAF) for decades.
In recent months, the US has flown B-1 and B-52 bombers from there to the Middle East for “defensive” strikes on Iran.
In July, Iran said “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces”.
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