Breaking: US charges 3 in alleged Iran-backed plot on RAF Fairford

U.S. federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, unsealed an eight-count superseding indictment charging three men with terrorism-related offenses tied to what they allege was an Iran-backed campaign that included a September plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British air base that housed U.S. aircraft and personnel. The Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs announced the case in a release (DOJ), and coverage also appeared at CNN, the Associated Press, and the New York Post. Prosecutors stress that a superseding indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

According to the indictment and the Justice Department, the men allegedly acted in support of Kata'ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, and were tied to nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the United States. The RAF Fairford plot, prosecutors say, involved surveillance, the purchase of vans and fuel barrels, and a bid to send those vans toward the base; at least two were turned away at a security roadblock, and UK authorities later recovered three vans and arrested occupants. CNN reported no explosives were found in the vans.

Who are the three men charged?

The indictment names Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, a dual Iraqi-Iranian citizen; Mohsen Mohajeri, 48, an Iranian national the DOJ describes as an IRGC operative; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, 35, an Iraqi national. Prosecutors allege the three supported Kata'ib Hizballah and the IRGC in a coordinated campaign that included nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the U.S. The allegations have not been proven in court, and all three men are presumed innocent.

What do prosecutors say happened at RAF Fairford?

According to the DOJ, al-Hassani allegedly paid for surveillance of the base perimeter on Aug. 22 and received videos. In September, he allegedly tasked individuals to buy vans and barrels of fuel, research chemical accelerants (including large quantities of potassium chloride), and procure metal items that could serve as shrapnel. Prosecutors say decals made the vans resemble a fuel-delivery business and a pool-supply business. On Sept. 26, al-Hassani allegedly sent three vans toward the base and stayed in contact with the drivers. At least two vans were turned away at a security roadblock, and early Sept. 27, UK authorities recovered three white vans and arrested occupants. CNN reported that U.S. B-1 bombers were stationed at RAF Fairford at the time, and that no explosives were found in the vans.

How could a jailed man direct a plot?

Prosecutors say al-Saadi, arrested abroad around May 1, 2026, and held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, used jail phone calls with his mother and sister in Iraq to pass coded messages to Mohajeri and al-Hassani. On Sept. 24, he allegedly said to “give him money so we can do it,” referring to al-Hassani, whom he called “Ali,” according to the indictment and DOJ release. Earlier, he asked about “our old work,” and his sister allegedly replied “it isn’t cancelled.”

What are the charges?

All three defendants face: conspiracy to provide material support to Kata'ib Hizballah (max 20 years), conspiracy to provide material support to the IRGC (max 20), conspiracy to provide material support for acts of terrorism (15), providing material support for acts of terrorism (15), conspiracy to bomb a place of public use (max life), and financing terrorism (20). Al-Saadi alone also faces attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries (max life) and attempted destruction of property by fire or explosive (5–20 years). Earlier charges filed in May against al-Saadi alleged he planned and promoted about 18 attacks in Europe (claimed by a front group called HAYI) and attempted to bomb a New York synagogue; AP reported he pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges. The DOJ emphasizes that a superseding indictment is merely an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent.

What has happened in the UK case?

UK police arrested seven men in total after the Sept. 27 incident, and they were later released on bail, according to CNN and the New York Post. On Oct. 27, the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing said two 24-year-old men from Westminster were charged under the National Security Act 2023: Nouman Essghir (Section 4, approaching a prohibited place) and Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim (Section 3, assisting a foreign intelligence service believed to be Iran). They appeared the same day at Westminster Magistrates’ Court (CTP; CPS; Guardian). The U.S. indictment does not name the UK defendants, and the UK case is separate. The Guardian reported prosecutors told the UK court the men were directed by a handler known as “Ali.”

What we know

Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government,” while U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald (SDNY) said the threat from Iran and Iran-backed groups “is very real,” and FBI Director Kash Patel said “justice will find you,” per the DOJ release. “The feds” here refers to the U.S. Department of Justice and federal prosecutors in Manhattan (SDNY), not UK police.

What we don't know yet

DOJ says al-Hassani and Mohajeri were in Iran during the Fairford plot and did not indicate whether they are in custody. No court date for the new indictment was announced. Separately, the U.S. relocated KC-135 tankers from RAF Mildenhall to Germany and Spain on Nov. 9–10 amid credible threats to UK bases, a U.S. official told CBS News; no official has linked that move to this indictment.

Related: US Army soldier arrested in UK on suspicion of Russia espionage and Trump says U.S. struck Iran again as Qatar pursues talks. The soldier case is unrelated to this indictment.

What's next

Court proceedings will unfold in Manhattan federal court (SDNY). The separate UK case under the National Security Act continues in London. NewsCubby will update as more information becomes available.

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*Photo: A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer taxis at RAF Fairford, England, in October 2023. Senior Airman Ryan Hayman, U.S. Air Force, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.jpg).*

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| Time (s) | Image | Creator / license | Source | |---|---|---|---| | 0.0-4.3, 36.6-38.8 | U.S. B-1B at RAF Fairford (2023) | Senior Airman Ryan Hayman, U.S. Air Force — Public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-USGov) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U_S_B-1B_Lancers_land_at_RAF_Fairford_(8088123).jpg | | 4.3-9.6 | RAF Fairford airfield (2026) | Peter Evans (geograph.org.uk) — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Fairford_-_geograph.org.uk_-_8275905.jpg | | 9.6-13.1 | Road to an RAF Fairford gate (2012) | Vieve Forward (geograph.org.uk) — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gate,_RAF_Fairford_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2879144.jpg | | 13.1-17.1 | RAF Fairford perimeter fence (2017) | Ian Capper (geograph.org.uk) — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Fairford_perimeter_fence_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5431776.jpg | | 17.1-22.0 | Federal jail, Brooklyn (2024) | Kidfly182 (Wikimedia Commons) — CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metropolitan_Detention_Center_Brooklyn_November_2024.jpg | | 22.0-26.1 | U.S. Justice Dept., Washington (2026) | APK (Wikimedia Commons) — CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_F._Kennedy_Department_of_Justice_Building.jpg | | 26.1-30.8 | Airmen service a B-1B, Fairford (2023) | Staff Sgt. Eugene Oliver, U.S. Air Force — Public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-USGov) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Airfield_management_clears_the_way_for_Bomber_Task_Force_(7872927).jpg | | 30.8-34.2 | B-1B on Fairford flightline (2023) | Senior Airman Ryan Hayman, U.S. Air Force — Public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-USGov) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B-1B_Lancers_return_to_RAF_Fairford_from_mission_(8175487).jpg | | 34.2-36.6 | Federal courthouse, Manhattan (2026) | Flickr user 83136374@N05 — CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Patrick_Moynihan_United_States_Courthouse_(55314001073).jpg |

**Thumbnail/cover:** U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer at RAF Fairford (2023), Senior Airman Ryan Hayman, U.S. Air Force, public domain (PD-USGov), via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U_S_B-1B_Lancers_land_at_RAF_Fairford_(8088123).jpg). Cropped, dark panel, text and NewsCubby logo added.

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