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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against three Iranian-backed agents, whom it accuses of being involved in a series of plots in the United States and Europe.
The Justice Department said Iranian agents recently "orchestrated a terrorist plot at an air base in the United Kingdom," claiming they were involved in the major incident in September near Fairford Air Force Base in the United Kingdom, where U.S. armed forces were stationed.
A man, with dual Iranian-Iraqi nationality, is accused of communicating with contacts in the United Kingdom from a New York prison where he is being held awaiting trial on previous charges. The other two are accused of having acted in the same way from Iran.
Iran has strongly denied any involvement in the Fairford Air Base incident.
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Seven men were arrested in the UK over the incident, which came to light when suspicious vans were reported near the RAF base.
Iranian Mohsen Mohajeri, Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani and Iranian-Iraqi dual national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi were charged in an indictment made public Tuesday, the Justice Department said.
It accuses the trio of planning attacks in Europe that were carried out under the name of a supposedly new group with the pseudonym Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (The Right Hand People's Islamic Movement - HAYI).
“Of the 18 terrorist attacks carried out in spring 2026 in Europe and claimed by HAYI, seven took place in the United Kingdom,” said the press release from the Ministry of Justice. It said the attacks involved "arson, explosives and, in one case, a near-fatal stabbing in London against two Jewish men, including a British-American citizen."
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Two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in April. A suspect is due to appear in court next year.
“This eight-count indictment demonstrates Iran’s determination to carry out terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
He added that one of the three allegedly “sent coded messages from his cell to facilitate future acts of violence”.
Patel said the defendants were involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks in support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah.
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A major incident was declared on September 27 near the UK's Fairford Air Force Base in the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire after three suspicious vans were seen near the base.
No explosives were found in the vans, but a quantity of gasoline was seized.
The Justice Department said that in August, al-Hassani allegedly "instructed and paid associates" in the United Kingdom to "conduct preparatory steps and organize logistics for the terrorist plot targeting Fairford Air Base."
On Aug. 22, al-Hassani paid an individual to “conduct pre-operational surveillance of the perimeter of Fairford Air Force Base,” the department said.
In September, al-Hassani paid several people to help him prepare the plot, the Justice Department also alleged.
According to its statement, this included “the acquisition of vans and fuel barrels, the search for chemical accelerators, including large quantities of potassium chloride, and the purchase of metal objects that could be used as explosive projectiles.”
The suspects then made the vans appear to belong to a fuel delivery company and a swimming pool supply company, the Justice Department said.
“On September 26, al-Hassani allegedly instructed individuals to drive three vans, some of which contained barrels of fuel, to Fairford Air Base. »
The Justice Department also said al-Hassani was “in frequent communication” with van drivers and helped direct them where to drive.
“At least two of the three vans, while en route to the perimeter of Fairford Air Force Base, encountered a security roadblock and were not permitted to continue on their intended route,” it added.
It was in the early hours of September 27 that the vans were spotted by a local farmer returning from a party and called the police.
The Iranian Embassy in London said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called “unfounded and malicious speculation” linking Iran to the incident.
Two British nationals appeared in court last month in connection with the alleged Iran-linked conspiracy case.
After the incident, the United States withdrew all its bombers from Fairford Air Force Base, with President Donald Trump citing "certain threats" to the base as the reason.
Fairford Air Force Base (RAF Fairford) has been used by the United States Air Force (USAF) for decades.
In recent months, the United States has deployed B-1 and B-52 bombers from this region to the Middle East for "defensive" strikes against Iran.
In July, Iran declared that "any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces."
We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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