The Department of Justice unsealed an indictment on Tuesday charging three Iran-backed operatives with orchestrating a terrorist plot at RAF Fairford, where US armed forces are stationed. The agency alleges the group planned attacks in Europe under the pseudonym Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI. According to the DOJ statement, 18 terrorist attacks occurred in the spring of 2026 for which HAYI claimed responsibility in Europe, with seven taking place in the UK. These incidents involved arsons, explosives, and a near-fatal stabbing in London of two Jewish men, including a dual US-British citizen. Two men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in April, and a suspect is due to stand trial next year.
The accused network
Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national, Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, and Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen, face the charges. The indictment accuses the trio of planning these European attacks while communicating with contacts in the United Kingdom. One man, identified as a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, allegedly communicated from a New York prison where he awaits trial on previous charges. The other two defendants reportedly sent communications from Iran. This coordination highlights the operational reach of the alleged network across international borders.
Denials and arrests
Iran has strongly denied any involvement in the RAF Fairford incident, which came to light when suspicious vans were reported near the base. Seven men have been arrested in the UK over the incident. The DOJ describes the September event as a major incident involving Iranian agents who "orchestrated a terrorist plot at an air force base in the United Kingdom." The charges suggest a direct link between the domestic security threats in the UK and the broader regional instability attributed to Iranian state actors. The legal action underscores the complexity of prosecuting transnational terrorism when suspects operate from foreign soil or within detention facilities abroad.
