An eight-count U.S. indictment alleges a New York detainee used calls with relatives in Iraq to relay coded messages to two men in a plot involving RAF Fairford, a British base used by U.S. forces.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said the superseding indictment was unsealed Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the Southern District of New York. It names Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, Mohsen Mohajeri, 48, and Mohammed Ali al-Hassani, 35. The department identifies them as dual Iranian-Iraqi, Iranian and Iraqi nationals, respectively.
The indictment says al-Saadi was arrested abroad on or about May 1, 2026, then transferred to U.S. custody, where he remained awaiting trial. Prosecutors allege Mohajeri and al-Hassani were in Iran during the Fairford plot and relied on contacts in the United Kingdom.
According to the filing, al-Hassani paid an associate to survey the area near Fairford around Aug. 22. In September, people involved allegedly prepared vans, fuel barrels, metal objects described as possible shrapnel and decals intended to make the vehicles look like delivery vans.
On or about Sept. 24, al-Saadi allegedly asked relatives in Iraq to give al-Hassani money “so we can do it.” Prosecutors say al-Hassani later directed people to take three vans toward Fairford. At least two met a security roadblock; U.K. law enforcement recovered all three vans and arrested their occupants early Sept. 27. EconoTimes previously reported police re-arrests in the Fairford inquiry.
The DOJ says the broader indictment describes nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States. It says HAYI claimed responsibility for about 18 attacks in Europe during spring 2026, including about seven in the United Kingdom.
The filing alleges the men supported Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the department identifies as U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations. Prosecutors say the wider conspiracy sought to pressure Washington to halt military operations against Iran and the IRGC.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government.” No court has established guilt, and the defendants retain the presumption of innocence.
