A man held in a US prison has been accused of helping Iranian operatives plan an attack on a British air base used by American forces. According to a new indictment unsealed on Tuesday, he passed secret messages to his contacts through phone and video calls with family members.
The case involves RAF Fairford, a military base in western England that has hosted US Air Force bombers during conflicts in the Middle East. Prosecutors say the alleged plan was part of a wider effort to target American and Jewish interests in Europe and the United States.
The accused man, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, is a dual Iranian-Iraqi national. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. He was arrested last spring and has remained in custody since then.
The new charges claim that al-Saadi continued to support the alleged plot while behind bars. Prosecutors say he used coded words during calls with his mother and sister in Iraq. He allegedly asked them to pass instructions to other people involved in the plan.
Three men are named in the latest case. Along with al-Saadi, the indictment accuses Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri and Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani of taking part in the alleged activities. Neither Mohajeri nor al-Hassani is currently in US custody.
The indictment also links the men to a wider network accused of planning nearly 20 attacks against Jewish communities in Europe and the United States. Prosecutors say the group used contacts in the United Kingdom to carry out its plans.
Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald said the defendants helped organize a campaign of terror on behalf of groups linked to Iran. He said the alleged targets included Jewish communities and RAF Fairford, where American military personnel are based.
McDonald warned that threats from Iran and groups connected to it were real and posed a risk to the United States and its allies.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche also addressed the case. He said anyone involved in planning an attack on a military base that houses American service members would face prosecution by the US government.
The suspected attack on RAF Fairford first came to light on September 27. British police detained several men after three suspicious vans were seen moving toward the military base. The vehicles raised concerns about a possible explosives and terrorism threat.
Seven men were arrested in Britain in connection with the incident. All were later released on bail. However, two were arrested again on suspicion of helping Iran’s intelligence service. British authorities then charged them under the National Security Act.
The arrests led to greater security concerns at RAF Fairford. The United States later moved its bombers from the base back to American territory. Iran denied involvement in the alleged plan.
RAF Fairford is about 100 miles west of London. The base has played an important role in US military operations for decades. American bombers have used the site during several conflicts in the Middle East.
The new indictment provides more details about how al-Saadi allegedly communicated with people outside prison. Prosecutors say he told his family that he owed money to Mohajeri. He then asked them to pass messages about their previous “work,” a word investigators say he used to describe terrorist activity.
During a July 30 call, al-Saadi reportedly asked his sister what had happened to their earlier work. He wanted to know whether the plans had been canceled or only delayed. His sister allegedly told him that the work had not been canceled.
In another call on September 24, he asked about al-Hassani. His family told him that the man had been moved to the International Section. Al-Saadi then allegedly told them to give him money so they could continue their plans.
Since his arrest in May, al-Saadi has been held in solitary confinement. The FBI monitored and recorded his phone and video calls with family members. Court records show that he took part in nine calls between June and September.
His lawyer raised concerns in September after several calls were interrupted or ended without explanation. Prosecutors later argued that al-Saadi was using coded language to discuss terrorist activity. The government then restricted his access to calls, allowing only one hourlong conversation each month.
The indictment also describes alleged attacks against Jewish sites in London. Prosecutors say that in mid-April, the three men directed an individual to set fire to a Jewish charity building while watching the attack through a live video feed.
The following day, they allegedly ordered another attack on a London synagogue. According to the indictment, al-Hassani gave instructions to set the building on fire.
Al-Saadi pleaded not guilty in June to charges involving at least 18 planned attacks in Europe. He described himself as a prisoner of war and has remained in custody without bail. His lawyers had not issued a public response to the latest charges by Tuesday.
US prosecutors say the alleged network included Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Both groups are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US government. Prosecutors have also described al-Saadi as a commander in Kata’ib Hizballah.
The case remains under investigation as US and British authorities examine the alleged network and its links to planned attacks. The latest indictment adds new allegations, but the charges have not yet been proven in court.
