USAupdated 17m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 5 October 2018U.S. Charges Three Iranian-Backed Operatives Over Fairford Airbase Plot
8 Western Mainstream3 Other2 West Asian2 Other source typesPhoto: Jim.henderson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for layout
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Three Iran-backed operatives indicted in U.S. over plots including UK Fairford airbase. Indictment links nearly 20 attacks across Europe and the United States.
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Indictment Targets Fairford Plot
The U.S. Department of Justice charged three men it described as Iranian-backed operatives over alleged roles in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across the United States and Europe, including a plot targeting the United Kingdom’s Fairford airbase.
The DOJ identified the defendants as Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, and it said they acted in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah.
The DOJ said the charges centre on RAF Fairford in southwest England, where US forces and bombers had been stationed, and it said the US had used the base to deploy bombers in its war against Iran.
The DOJ said the men were involved in 18 attacks and attempted attacks, including incidents in London, Amsterdam and Paris, and it said some were directed over FaceTime.
The DOJ said al-Hassani, a 35-year-old Iraqi national, directed others to drive to the base in vans, some carrying barrels of fuel, and it said prosecutors alleged coded coordination through al-Saadi’s communications from custody.
Coded Calls, Arrests, Denials
Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald said, "These defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror" targeting Jewish communities and the British military base, RAF Fairford, housing American service members. Mohajeri and al-Hassani were not in custody, and two sources told the BBC's US partner CBS News that Mohajeri and al-Hassani were not in custody. The DOJ said al-Saadi was already in jail in New York and that prosecutors did not disclose the whereabouts of Mohajeri and al-Hassani.
A major incident was declared on 27 September near RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire after suspicious vans were reported, and seven men were arrested in connection with the episode. Iran has strongly denied any involvement, and the BBC asked the Southern District of New York for comment.
What Happens Next
The DOJ said the indictment unsealed on Tuesday charges the three men with terrorism-related offences, and it said the alleged Fairford plot was orchestrated with support of IRGC and Kataib Hezbollah.
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security M. Scott Proctor stated, "No matter where they are in the world, the National Security Division of the Department of Justice will pursue those who target American citizens and American interests."
FBI Director Kash Patel warned, "This eight-count indictment shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the U.S.," and it said the FBI would use all its resources to detect and stop such attacks.
US court records show al-Saadi is due in court on 19 November, though it said it was not clear whether the status conference relates to the new charges or the previous ones.
The Guardian said the indictment alleged that al-Saadi, who was jailed in New York, plotted while in custody and transmitted plans using coded messages in calls to his family to pass on to Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani.