On November 10, the United States Department of Justice announced legal actions against three men identified as alleged “Iranian agents” for their involvement in a conspiracy to carry out a terrorist attack at the Royal Air Force Fairford base in the UK. Notably, one of the accused has reportedly coordinated aspects of the attack from within a prison in New York.
The indictment reveals that the individuals in question include Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Alsaadi, a 32-year-old dual national of Iraq and Iran; Mohsen Mohajeri, a 48-year-old Iranian citizen; and Mohammed Ali Alhassani, a 35-year-old Iraqi national.
According to the charges, all three men participated in nearly 20 terrorist attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, while also plotting a specific attack targeting the Fairford airbase, which is a critical hub for the U.S. Air Force’s heavy strategic bombers in Europe.
Court documents indicate that these three individuals are alleged to represent a terrorist network allied with Iran, conspiring to launch attacks in both Europe and the U.S. This network reportedly includes entities such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iraqi Shiite militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, both of which are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. government.
The trio faces a total of eight charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, attempts to commit cross-border terrorism, and efforts to inflict damage through arson or explosives.
In September of this year, an attempted terrorist attack at the Royal Air Force Fairford base took place. The indictment indicates that Alhassani and Mohajeri, who were in Iran at the time, relied on a network of contacts in the UK to carry out this conspiracy. Meanwhile, Alsaadi, who was incarcerated at the Southern District prison in New York, allegedly attempted to coordinate the attack by sending encrypted messages via third parties from behind bars.
Reports suggest that Alhassani was the primary architect of the plot, overseeing logistics and preparations. In late August, he reportedly paid individuals to conduct reconnaissance around the Fairford base. In September, he paid several people to acquire vans and barrels of fuel, and to investigate how to buy chemical accelerants, along with sourcing metal materials that could be used as shrapnel in explosions. Under Alhassani’s direction, these individuals also created stickers to disguise the vans as ordinary commercial vehicles.
On September 26, he instructed others to drive three vans to the Fairford airbase, maintaining frequent communication with the drivers to coordinate their movements and direct their routes. At least two of the vans encountered security checkpoints en route to Fairford and were prevented from proceeding. In the early hours of September 27, all three vans were stopped by UK law enforcement, and the occupants were arrested.
A curious aspect of the case is how Alsaadi, detained in a New York prison, managed to participate in this terrorist plot.
The indictment details that around May 1 of this year, Alsaadi had been arrested while attempting to coordinate the terror attack abroad and was subsequently extradited to the U.S. for prosecution. While awaiting trial in New York, he reportedly had multiple phone conversations with close relatives who were in Iraq.
During these conversations, Alsaadi allegedly discussed Mohajeri with his mother and sister using various aliases. He conveyed to his family that he owed money to Mohajeri and instructed them to relay information concerning “work” to him. Alsaadi frequently utilized the term “work” to refer to terrorist activities, including discussions regarding potential collaborations with Mohajeri to execute an attack.
In one such call, Alsaadi asked his sister, “What do they plan to do about our previous ‘work’?” and inquired if it had been canceled or merely postponed. His sister reassured him, saying, “It hasn’t been canceled.”
Around September 24, Alsaadi spoke again with his family, reportedly asking about Alhassani’s status. They informed him that Ali (an alias for Alhassani) had been moved to the “international zone.” Alsaadi then directed his family to “send him (Alhassani) money so we can get this done.” Just three days later, Alhassani moved forward with the planned attack on the Royal Air Force Fairford.
Allegations suggest that before his arrest, Alsaadi had closely collaborated with Qasem Soleimani, a commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, describing their relationship as “like a son.” Alsaadi was also reportedly close to Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and warned this dictator three days prior to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes earlier this year that “the U.S. might attack Iran.” Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for nearly four decades, was subsequently killed in the first round of joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.