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Iranian ‘mastermind directed RAF Fairford terror plot from New York jail’
US prosecutors allege that Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi directed a plot targeting RAF Fairford from a New York prison cell, using coded messages and video calls. The claims matter because they suggest the alleged network continued to organise attacks in Britain after al-Saadi’s arrest and extradition; he denies separate US terrorism charges.
Al-Saadi, 32, and two others, Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, 35, and Mohsen Mohajeri, 48, were charged over the Fairford plot. Prosecutors say al-Hassani arranged surveillance and help acquiring vans, fuel and metal objects, and was in contact with drivers; five British men were arrested near the base on 27 September. Al-Saadi had previously been accused of involvement in 18 attacks in Europe, including seven targeting Jewish sites in London.
In short
- US prosecutors allege a jailed Iranian directed the RAF Fairford plot.
- Two other men are charged over planning and preparation.
- Five British men were arrested near the base in September.
Explained simply
RAF Fairford is a military air base in Gloucestershire used by the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force. The alleged plot involved Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi and two other men, Mohammad Ali al-Hassani and Mohsen Mohajeri.
US prosecutors say al-Saadi used coded messages and video calls from a New York prison to direct the plan, while al-Hassani arranged surveillance and practical support. Five British men were arrested near the base in September. The allegations raise questions about how the group operated across borders and whether it continued organising after al-Saadi’s arrest; he denies separate US terrorism charges.