Three Charged for Terror Plot Targeting U.S. and UK Interests

Charges Filed Against Alleged Iran-Linked Operatives

Three men have been indicted by U.S. officials for allegedly plotting nearly twenty terrorist attacks targeting Jewish communities in the U.S. and Europe, as well as a specific plan to assault a British air base used by the U.S. Air Force.

The defendants include Mohammad Al-Saadi, a dual national of Iran and Iraq, Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national, and Mohammad Ali Al-Hassani, an Iraqi national. Al-Saadi is currently incarcerated in the United States.

Details of the Allegations

The unsealed indictment from a federal court in New York City lays out the charges against the trio and highlights Al-Saadi's critical role in orchestrating these attacks. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald emphasized that the terror plots were executed on behalf of organizations supported by Iran.

According to the report, the men primarily focused on Jewish organizations located in both Europe and the U.S. Al-Saadi, who was arrested earlier this year, allegedly continued to communicate with his co-conspirators leading up to a thwarted attempt at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford.

“This situation reveals the ongoing threats that Iran and its affiliates pose to national and international security,” McDonald stated in a press release.

The Investigation's Progress

The case gained momentum after five individuals were taken into custody on September 27 when suspicious vehicles were spotted heading toward the air base in southwestern England. The Justice Department claims that Al-Hassani financed reconnaissance activities around RAF Fairford, and made arrangements for several elements of the attack during August and September.

As incriminating details emerged, authorities reported that the group even designed custom decals for their vehicles to disguise them as normal service vans. Allegations state that Al-Hassani directed these associates to transport fuel to the base just as law enforcement intervened.

Communication and Coordination

Even while incarcerated, Al-Saadi is accused of coordinating with his family in Iraq through coded exchanges. Investigators revealed that during a recorded call with his sister, he expressed concern about their ongoing endeavors in terrorism. His sister’s response suggested that their activities were very much still ongoing.

Al-Saadi previously denied charges tied to his earlier assassination plots aimed at various targets in Europe, as he sought to retaliate against U.S. and Israeli actions in Iran. Federal prosecutors suggest the three men were looking to leverage a network within the U.K. to execute attacks for a terrorist faction affiliated with the Iranian government.

The terror group allegedly operated under the pseudonym Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), a front for the Iranian group Kata’ib Hizballah. Both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.