US Indicts Three Iran-Backed Operatives Over Nearly 20 Terrorist Attacks Across Europe and America

Washington, D.C. (Terror Monitor) — The United States has indicted three Iranian-backed operatives over their alleged involvement in nearly 20 terrorist attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, including a September plot targeting a British Royal Air Force (RAF) base housing American military personnel.

The US Department of Justice announced Tuesday that an eight-count superseding indictment had been unsealed 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.

The defendants are accused of supporting two US-designated foreign terrorist organisations, Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and conspiring to carry out attacks on behalf of an Iran-aligned network.

According to the indictment, the three men were involved in planning and coordinating attacks targeting Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, as well as American military interests.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said anyone planning a terrorist attack against a military installation housing American servicemembers would face prosecution by the US government.

He said the defendants allegedly supported two foreign terrorist organisations, while al-Saadi coordinated with his co-defendants in the days leading up to an attempted terrorist plot.

Blanche added that the Justice Department would continue dismantling terrorist networks and protecting Americans from terrorist organisations.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the indictment demonstrated the determination of Iranian-backed operatives to carry out attacks in Europe and the United States.

He said one of the suspects had continued allegedly coordinating terrorist activities through coded communications despite being imprisoned in the United States while awaiting trial.

Alleged terrorist campaign across Europe

According to prosecutors, the alleged network operated under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which investigators described as a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and other designated terrorist organisations.

The indictment states that HAYI claimed responsibility for 18 terrorist attacks across Europe during the spring of 2026, including seven in the United Kingdom.

The attacks allegedly involved arson, explosives and other acts of violence targeting Jewish communities and individuals.

One of the incidents involved the near-fatal stabbing of two Jewish men in London, one of whom was a dual US-British citizen.

Investigators allege that al-Saadi and Mohajeri helped produce and distribute propaganda videos associated with the attacks, while al-Hassani used contacts and criminal associates in Britain to facilitate operations.

The indictment also describes an incident on April 17 in which the three defendants allegedly monitored and directed an attack in real time through a video call.

A day later, al-Hassani allegedly participated in another video call with an individual carrying out an attack on a synagogue in London.

Prosecutors say the suspects coordinated the attacks through communications networks and provided instructions to individuals carrying out operations on the ground.

Plot targeting British airbase housing US forces

The latest alleged operation involved a plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British military airbase in Gloucestershire that housed US military aircraft and personnel.

According to the Justice Department, al-Hassani orchestrated the operation in September 2026 while allegedly receiving assistance from associates in the United Kingdom.

On August 22, he allegedly paid an individual to conduct surveillance of the airbase's perimeter and provide videos of the surrounding area.

During September, he allegedly instructed several associates to arrange vehicles, fuel and other materials for the planned operation.

Prosecutors say the suspects obtained three vans and fitted them with customised logos designed to make them appear to belong to fuel-delivery and swimming-pool supply businesses.

They also allegedly researched chemical accelerants and purchased metallic objects that could be used as explosive shrapnel.

On September 26, al-Hassani allegedly directed individuals to drive the three vans towards RAF Fairford. Some of the vehicles reportedly contained barrels of fuel.

At least two vans encountered a security checkpoint and were prevented from proceeding along their intended route.

British law enforcement authorities subsequently recovered three white vans during the early hours of September 27 and arrested their occupants.

The operation was disrupted before the alleged attackers could reach their intended target.

Suspect allegedly coordinated attacks from US prison

One of the most significant allegations concerns al-Saadi, who was already being held in federal custody in New York while awaiting trial on separate terrorism charges.

According to prosecutors, al-Saadi continued communicating with associates through telephone calls to family members in Iraq.

Investigators allege that he used coded language and intermediaries to pass instructions to Mohajeri and al-Hassani, including in the days immediately preceding the RAF Fairford plot.

The indictment says al-Saadi used the word "work" as a reference to terrorist activities and instructed family members to relay messages and provide financial assistance to his associates.

In a telephone conversation on September 24, three days before the alleged plot was disrupted, al-Saadi reportedly asked about al-Hassani and instructed his family to give him money so that the operation could proceed.

Reuters also reported on Tuesday that an Iran-backed militant had allegedly helped coordinate the attempted attack on Britain's RAF Fairford base while being held in a US jail.

Attempted attack on New York synagogue

The US indictment also alleges that al-Saadi attempted to coordinate terrorist attacks inside the United States, including an attempted bombing of a synagogue in Manhattan.

Prosecutors say the alleged activities took place during March and April 2026, while al-Saadi was working with Mohajeri and al-Hassani on operations targeting locations in Europe.

The Justice Department said the suspects were involved in planning approximately 18 attacks in Europe and attempted to expand their activities into the United States.

Al-Saadi was arrested abroad on or around May 1 and subsequently transferred to US custody to face prosecution.

Eight criminal counts and potential penalties

The eight-count indictment includes charges of conspiring to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, providing support for terrorist activities, attempting acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiring to bomb public places and financing terrorism.

Some of the charges carry maximum sentences of 20 years, while others carry potential life imprisonment.

Al-Saadi also faces charges related to attempted terrorist activities and attempted destruction of property through fire or explosives.

The Justice Department said the investigation involved the FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI Washington Field Office, the New York Police Department, US Customs and Border Protection, the New York State Police and other federal and local agencies.

The case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Justice Department's National Security Division.

The indictment represents allegations, and all three defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.