US charges three men it calls Iranian operatives over alleged RAF Fairford plot

As reported by France 24, The Hindu and Le Monde (English). The allegations below are theirs, not Vocemundi's.

The US Justice Department on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, announced charges against three men it described as "Iranian operatives". The charges relate to their alleged role in a plot at RAF Fairford, an airbase in Britain, which the department described as terrorist.

The men are Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani.

The case concerns an incident in September at RAF Fairford, in southwest England. The US military has used the base in its operations against Iran. Police were called to the site after a local farmer reported seeing a group of men with several white vans. The farmer described their activity as "suspicious". The United States later withdrew its B-1 bombers from the base.

The charges

According to AFP, as carried by France 24, The Hindu and Le Monde, the charges are set out in an eight-count indictment. All three men face three charges:

• conspiracy to provide material support to Kataeb Hezbollah and the IRGC, both designated terrorist groups
• conspiring to provide, and providing, material support for acts of terrorism
• conspiring to bomb a place of public use

Al-Saadi faces two more charges: attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and attempted destruction of property by fire or explosive.

According to AFP, al-Saadi is 32 and holds Iranian and Iraqi nationality. He is already jailed in New York on terrorism charges and has been in US custody since May. Al-Hassani, 35, is Iraqi. Mohajeri, 48, is Iranian. AFP reported that prosecutors did not disclose the whereabouts of al-Hassani and Mohajeri.

AFP reported that UK police last month charged two British men over the Fairford incident. One man was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, which AFP described as "believed to be in Iran". The reports do not say who holds this belief. The other man was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose "prejudicial" to the UK.

AFP reported that the B-1 bombers left days after the incident. The South China Morning Post presented the incident as the reason for the withdrawal. Neither report cites a US official giving the reason.

Flight-tracking data on Tuesday showed the US military had removed at least a dozen aircraft from a second British base, RAF Mildenhall. The Wall Street Journal, as cited by AFP, reported that this followed a threat from Iran. The reports do not describe the threat or include official confirmation.

What each side says

According to the US charging document, al-Hassani directed unnamed individuals to drive vans to the base. Some of the vans carried barrels of fuel. Prosecutors say he had earlier paid the group to buy metallic objects that could serve as shrapnel and to disguise the vans as fuel-delivery vehicles. Prosecutors allege that al-Saadi used coded messages to coordinate with the other two men, and that all three helped plan and direct the incident.

In May, US authorities accused al-Saadi of directing and urging attacks on US and Israeli interests, including at least 18 attacks in Europe and two in Canada.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement: "Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government."

The reports do not include any response from the defendants or their lawyers, from Iran's government, the IRGC or Kataeb Hezbollah, or from UK authorities.

Most reports reviewed by Vocemundi carry the same AFP text.

Vocemundi note: this story relays allegations published by France 24, The Hindu and Le Monde (English). Vocemundi did not have access to the underlying evidence or documents and has not independently verified these claims. The people and organisations named are presumed innocent; their response is included where it was available.

Analysis

The indictment links an incident on British soil to alleged Iranian-backed networks. This may draw more attention to the security of US assets in the UK. Much depends on facts the reports do not establish. These include who drove the vans, what the group intended at the base, and whether the two men charged in the UK are connected. The status of al-Hassani and Mohajeri also remains unclear, so it is uncertain whether they could face trial. The reported aircraft movements could reflect security concerns, or unrelated operational decisions. The reports do not settle this. None of the accusations has been tested in court.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.