US Prosecutors Indict Iranian Operative for Plotting Attack on RAF Fairford
Federal officials allege a dual national used coded family calls to coordinate a chemical explosion plot against a UK base while in custody.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
US federal prosecutors have identified an Iranian operative currently incarcerated in New York as the mastermind behind a foiled attack on a British air force base. The new indictment alleges that Mohammad Dawood al-Saadi, who holds dual citizenship in Iran and Iraq, orchestrated the plan while already in federal custody. His target was RAF Fairford, the European home for American B-1 bombers, which was intended to be struck in September.
According to the legal documents, al-Saadi was accused of ties to Kata’ib Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He reportedly planned the assault as a form of retribution for the US military campaign in Iran. This latest charge adds to a significant list of accusations against him, including alleged links to eighteen terrorist attacks in Europe and a separate plot to bomb a synagogue in New York.
The indictment details how al-Saadi transmitted his plans while imprisoned. He allegedly used coded messages during telephone calls to his family members. These messages were then relayed to two co-conspirators: Mohsen Mohajeri, an operative for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and another Iranian national named Mohammad Ali al-Hassani.
Al-Hassani took charge of the operational aspects of the plot. The prosecution claims he tasked associates with surveilling the Fairfield RAF base. They were also instructed to procure vans and barrels of fuel. Additionally, the group researched the purchase of chemical accelerants and metallic objects, which were intended to be used as shrapnel in the explosion.
The plot was uncovered on September 27 when five men from London were arrested in the village of Whelford, located near the air base. The arrests were made on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses. The investigation was triggered after a farmer reported seeing vans blocking a road near the base while returning from a party.
RAF Fairford holds strategic importance as the primary European hub for US air force bombers. The base was actively used by the United States during its bombing campaign against Iran. In July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement highlighting the base’s role. They declared that any bases used by the US to attack Iran, including Fairford, were legitimate targets.
US attorney Jamie McDonald commented on the case, stating that the defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror on behalf of Iranian-affiliated groups. He noted that the targets included Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, as well as the British military base housing American service members.
McDonald emphasized the persistence of the conspirators, pointing out that they allegedly continued to coordinate terrorist activity through coded communications and a network of overseas associates even after one of their co-conspirators was arrested and placed in federal custody.
The attorney further described the threat posed by Iran and its backed terrorist groups to America and its allies as very real rather than hypothetical. This case highlights the ongoing efforts by US authorities to disrupt transnational terrorist networks operating from within the country.
