The United States has charged three alleged Iran-backed operatives over a series of attempted attacks across Europe, including an alleged plot targeting a British air force base used by American military aircraft.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said the suspects were involved in nearly 20 attempted attacks carried out in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah.
An indictment unsealed on Tuesday names Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri, Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani and dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi.
According to US prosecutors, the three allegedly coordinated attacks in Europe under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), a group that claimed responsibility for 18 attacks during the spring of 2026.
Seven of the incidents reportedly occurred in the United Kingdom and involved arson, explosives and a stabbing attack in north London that left two Jewish men injured.
The most recent alleged operation involved RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where US military personnel and aircraft are stationed.
Prosecutors claim al-Hassani directed and financed preparations for the operation, including surveillance of the airbase, the acquisition of vehicles and the procurement of materials that could have been used in an attack.
The indictment alleges that on August 22, he paid an individual to conduct surveillance around the base’s perimeter.
In September, he allegedly funded further preparations, including the purchase of three vans, fuel barrels and other materials. The vehicles were reportedly disguised as belonging to a fuel delivery company and a swimming pool supply business.
On September 26, individuals were allegedly instructed to drive the vans towards the RAF Fairford perimeter. At least two encountered security roadblocks and could not follow their intended routes.
The incident came to light in the early hours of September 27, when a local farmer spotted the suspicious vehicles and alerted police.
A major incident was declared, with seven men subsequently arrested in the UK. No explosives were found in the vans, although police seized quantities of petrol.
The DOJ also alleges that one of the accused, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national being held in a New York prison while awaiting trial on earlier charges, continued communicating with contacts in Britain through coded messages to facilitate further violence.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the indictment as evidence of what he called Iran’s determination to carry out attacks in the United States and Europe.
The Iranian government has strongly rejected the allegations. Its embassy in London said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it described as unfounded claims linking Tehran to the RAF Fairford incident.
The September security scare also had implications for US military operations. Washington withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford after the incident, with President Donald Trump citing threats to the base.
The facility has long served as an important operating location for the US Air Force, including deployments of B-1 and B-52 bombers to the Middle East.
Iran had previously warned that any base used to launch attacks against its territory could become a legitimate target.
The three men now face an eight-count indictment in the United States. The allegations remain subject to the judicial process, while investigations into the suspected network and its activities continue.
