Three Iran-backed suspects plotted attacks including RAF Fairford incident, US says
The US Department of Justice has charged three Iran-backed operatives with orchestrating a series of terrorist plots across the US and Europe, including a suspicious incident at the UK's RAF Fairford base. The indictment links the suspects to a group claiming responsibility for multiple attacks in 2026.
Why it matters
These charges highlight ongoing geopolitical tensions and the threat of state-sponsored terrorism targeting Western military and civilian infrastructure.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The US removed all its bombers from the UK's RAF Fairford base last month after a major incident in September that police described as "suspicious"
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced charges against three Iran-backed operatives that it alleges were involved in a string of plots in the US and Europe.
The DOJ said Iranian agents most recently "orchestrated a terrorist plot at an air force base in the United Kingdom", saying they were involved in the major incident in September near RAF Fairford in the UK, where US armed forces were stationed.
One man, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, is accused of communicating with contacts in the UK from a prison in New York where he is awaiting trial on previous charges. The other two are accused of doing the same from Iran.
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