An updated US indictment has named Mohammed Ali al-Hassani, a 35-year-old Iraqi who previously lived in Britain, as the alleged orchestrator of the September incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The revelation comes as part of a broader case against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, who is accused of directing terror and arson attacks against American and Jewish targets in the UK and Europe on behalf of Iran.
Background of the Case
Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey in May and extradited to the US within weeks. He described himself as “a prisoner of war” when he first appeared in a Manhattan courtroom in June. He is accused of being behind a new terror group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (Hayi) and serving as a commander with Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iraqi group backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
While awaiting trial in a New York jail, al-Saadi made calls to his family, during which he sought to pass on “coded messages” to two associates in Iran, according to the 26-page indictment. On or about 24 September, he asked about one associate, named Ali, who had been transferred to the “International Section”. Al-Saadi then instructed, “Give him money so we can do it,” though the meaning was not immediately clear.
Alleged Orchestration of RAF Fairford Incident
The indictment says Ali had already been active, directing the incident in a Cotswold village next to RAF Fairford within days. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs in mid-October that the IRGC was “almost certainly” behind the Fairford incident. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood added: “Our assessment is that it is highly likely to have been co-ordinated by a known individual based in Iran, and almost certainly directed by Iran’s IRGC.”
A fortnight later, two Britons from London were charged by UK police, accused of assisting Iranian intelligence in breach of the 2023 National Security Act. They await trial and have yet to plead. Last month, Westminster magistrates court in London heard that the men in vans had been directed to drive to Fairford by a handler called Ali.
Broader Campaign and Impact
Al-Hassani was one of two associates of al-Saadi in the low-level campaign conducted by Hayi in March and April, along with Mohsen Mohajeri. A video obtained by US prosecutors shows Mohajeri telling al-Hassani, “We need to get focused on London” on 6 April, as they look at a map of the capital. Six attacks in London followed shortly after.
In one case, the three men are accused of directing an individual in real time to attack a premises linked to an educational charity called Jewish Futures in Hendon, north London, on 17 April. Video evidence shows the three linked to the individual via a FaceTime call, with al-Hassani directing the perpetrator to “light one in your hand”, “light it” and “throw the fourth one”.
The arson attacks on synagogues and Jewish community sites in London had a wider impact. Roger Macmillan, a former head of security at Iran International, argued that “terrorism is not always about massive attacks, it is about instilling fear”. Al-Hassani and Mohajeri remained at liberty, and in August al-Hassani was accused by the US of orchestrating preparations for the alleged plot against RAF Fairford. The British courts will determine what happened at Fairford, but the indictment demonstrates that other IRGC-linked individuals remain interested in orchestrating sabotage and terror plots in the UK.
