US Charges Three Men Over Terror Plot Targeting Jewish Communities And UK Airbase

US authorities have charged three men accused of plotting nearly 20 terrorist attacks targeting Jewish communities across Europe and the United States, as well as the British military base RAF Fairford, where American bombers and troops had been stationed.

The charges were detailed in a superseding indictment unsealed on Tuesday in a Manhattan federal court. The accused are Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national.

US Attorney Jamie McDonald said al-Saadi, who was arrested in the spring, continued coordinating with his co-defendants in the days leading up to an alleged terrorist plot targeting RAF Fairford in September. Prosecutors described the planned attacks as a “campaign of terror” against Jewish communities and other targets.

The indictment provides fresh details about an incident that remained largely unexplained for more than a month. On September 27, five men were detained in the United Kingdom after three suspicious vans were spotted travelling towards RAF Fairford in western England shortly after midnight. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of explosives-related and terrorism offences.

The incident triggered heightened security concerns at the military installation, which has been used by the US military to station strategic bombers and personnel. Following the arrests, the US military withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford, redeploying the aircraft to their home bases in the United States.

The latest indictment sheds further light on the alleged coordination behind the September plot and the wider network of attacks investigators believe the three defendants were planning. However, the charges remain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.