Three charged in Iran-backed plot against UK US air base

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 10 Nov, 20:38 · Archive

Three men linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been charged over an alleged plot to attack RAF Fairford using fuel-laden vans.

Three men have been charged with terrorism offences related to an alleged plot to attack RAF Fairford in England, where US military aircraft and personnel are stationed. The suspects are believed to be linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and associated militia networks.

Mohammad al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen, was arrested in Turkey in May and transferred to the US. According to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday, he allegedly orchestrated the operation from a US prison cell where he awaits trial on separate terrorism charges. He allegedly used telephone calls with his mother and sister to pass coded messages about 'work' to his co-conspirators in Iran, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad al-Hassani.

Prosecutors say al-Hassani directed associates in the UK to conduct surveillance of the air base in August, paying one individual to record video of its perimeter. The suspects' associates obtained three vans and filled them with barrels of fuel, then researched chemical accelerants and purchased metal objects for use as explosive shrapnel. The vans were disguised with commercial decals to resemble fuel delivery and swimming pool supply vehicles. On 26 September, al-Hassani allegedly directed associates to drive the vans toward the base. At least two encountered a security roadblock and were unable to proceed. British authorities recovered all three vehicles and arrested their occupants the following morning.

How it is being reported

• What we know as three men charged with ‘plotting Iran-backed terror attacks’ on the UKThe suspects are accused of orchestrating nearly 20 attacks, including on RAF FairfordThe i Paper · 10 Nov, 21:11
• Iran-backed terror suspects charged with 'plotting bomb attack on RAF base while behind bars'The US has charged three men of plotting a “campaign of terror” across Europe, including against the joint US-UK military base RAF Fairford. Charges against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national, and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, were outlined in a New York court today. In a statement, US Attorney Jamie McDonald claimed al-Saadi had coordinated with the other two suspects in prison in the days leading up to the alleged bomb plot at RAF Fairford in September. Prosecutors claim al-Saadi attempted to pass coded…GB News · 10 Nov, 20:35
• Iran-backed terror suspects plotted attack on US troops using vans packed with fuel, DOJ saysA Justice Department indictment alleges three Iran-backed suspects used fuel-laden vans to target RAF Fairford, a British base housing U.S. troops.Fox News · 10 Nov, 20:25
• Three Iran-backed operatives charged in plot targeting UK air base hosting US aircraftWASHINGTON — An Iran-backed operative orchestrated a foiled terror plot targeting US military aircraft in England from an American prison cell — using “coded messages” in phone calls to relatives in Iraq, according to a federal indictment secured Tuesday. Mohammad al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen, was arrested and brought to the US in May to...New York Post · 10 Nov, 19:25

In this story: Mohammad al-Saadi · Mohsen Mohajeri · Mohammad al-Hassani · RAF Fairford · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

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