Three Arrested in U.S. for Alleged Terrorism Linked to Iran

Washington, November 11 (Daily Kiran) : Three individuals have been arrested in the United States on serious terrorism-related charges. Prosecutors allege they conspired to carry out attacks in Europe and incite violence in America at the behest of Iran. One of the targets was a British airbase housing U.S. troops, but the plot was thwarted before it could be executed.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that a new indictment names the trio, including Mohammad Baqir Sad Dawood Al-Sadi, who holds dual Iranian and Iraqi citizenship; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Iraqi citizen Mohammad Ali Al-Hasani. They are accused of supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Kata’ib Hezbollah, both designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S.

According to prosecutors, this network is connected to nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks. A recent target was the RAF Fairford airbase in the United Kingdom, where U.S. aircraft and personnel were present during a September incident.

The indictment reveals that Al-Hasani coordinated the plot while abroad, receiving assistance from associates in the UK. Mohajeri was in Iran at the time, while Al-Sadi was already in federal custody in New York on separate terrorism charges.

Despite being incarcerated, prosecutors allege that Al-Sadi communicated with relatives in Iraq to send coded messages to his associates. Preparations for the attacks reportedly began in August, with accomplices conducting surveillance on the airbase, gathering vans and fuel drums, and collecting materials for incendiary devices.

Prosecutors noted that the vans were marked to resemble vehicles used for fuel delivery or pool supplies. On September 26, three vans were headed towards RAF Fairford, but at least two were stopped at security checkpoints and could not proceed. British authorities seized the vans and arrested the occupants the following morning.

Attorney General Todd Blanch warned that anyone plotting against U.S. military installations would face legal repercussions. He stated, “Anyone who conspires to carry out a terrorist act at a military base with American personnel will be prosecuted by the U.S. government.”

The indictment also references several attacks on Jewish communities in Europe, with prosecutors claiming the individuals operated through a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yameen al-Islamiyya (HAYI), which allegedly serves as a front for Iranian-linked terrorist organizations. This group has claimed responsibility for 18 attacks in Europe during the spring, including seven in the UK, involving arson, bombings, and a stabbing incident targeting two Jewish men in London, one of whom held dual British and American citizenship.

Investigators also allege that the accused directed some attacks remotely via live video calls. Al-Sadi was arrested abroad in May and subsequently handed over to U.S. custody.

The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to terrorist organizations, financing terrorism, and plotting bomb attacks in public places.