U.S. charges three ‘Iranian operatives’ over U.K. airbase plot
The US Justice Department has charged three individuals linked to Iran for an alleged plot targeting the UK's RAF Fairford airbase. The plot involved using disguised vehicles to transport fuel and potential shrapnel, leading to a heightened security response and the withdrawal of US bombers.
Why it matters
This incident highlights ongoing security threats to Western military infrastructure and the complexities of international counter-terrorism operations.
NEW YORK The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday (November 10, 2026) announced charges against three men it described as "Iranian operatives," including one already in jail, over their role in an alleged terrorist plot at Britain's RAF Fairford airbase. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani allegedly helped plan and direct the September incident at the base, which has been used by the U.S. military in its operations against Iran. Police were called to the Fairford site in southwest England after a local farmer reported seeing a group of men with several white vans engaged in "suspicious" activity. A U.S. charging document states that Al-Hassani, a 35-year-old Iraqi national, directed unnamed individuals to drive to the base in the vans, some of which contained barrels of fuel. Two Britons charged in connection with assisting Iran over U.K.
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