US charges three men allegedly linked to RAF Fairford incident

Three men have been accused by US authorities of being Iran-supported operatives who plotted more than a dozen attacks, including an alleged terrorist plot near a UK military base where American aircraft were stationed. 

Charges against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national already in custody in the US, Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri, and Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al Hassani, were outlined in a new indictment issued by a Manhattan federal court.

Prosecutors allege that al Saadi - who has pleaded not guilty after being arrested earlier this year for allegedly plotting at least 18 terror attacks across Europe - continued to coordinate with his co-defendants in the days leading up an incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which was used by US bombers.

In a statement, US attorney Jamie McDonald said: "These defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror on behalf of terrorist organizations affiliated with Iran that targeted Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, and the British military base, RAF Fairford, housing American service members.

"The threat presented by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups to America and our allies is not hypothetical - it is very real."

Seven men have so far been arrested by UK police after three large white vans were stopped near the airbase in Gloucestershire in the early hours of 27 September.

All have been released on bail.

British authorities have accused Iran of involvement in the incident, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying there is a "strong indication" the country played a role in the alleged terror plot - claims Tehran denies.

More from Sky News:
Senior US Army officer arrested in UK
US pulls aircraft out of another British base

Men allegedly had network of UK contacts

According to the US indictment, al Saadi used calls from prison to relatives in Iraq to pass on coded messages to Mohajeri and al Hassani in the days leading up to the incident at RAF Fairford.

It alleges the three men worked together to use a network of contacts in the UK to commit terrorist attacks on behalf of an Iran-aligned terrorist network, which included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Kata'ib Hizballah.

Al Hassani has been accused of paying a man to conduct surveillance in the UK, beginning in August.

That surveillance then allegedly escalated into al Hassani paying a number of individuals to help procure vans and barrels of fuel, as well as researching chemical accelerants and buying objects that could be used as explosive shrapnel, according to the indictment.

It also alleges that the people in the UK made custom decals they could affix to the vehicles to make it seem like they were used for a fuel company and a swimming pool supply business.

The individuals were then allegedly tasked by al Hassani to travel to RAF Fairford with the fuel, where they were taken into custody by UK law enforcement.

US attorney general Todd Blanche said that "anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government."

Meanwhile, FBI director Kash Patel said the indictment "shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the US".

(c) Sky News 2026: US charges three men allegedly linked to RAF Fairford incident