US Unseals Indictment Against Three Iran-Backed Operatives in Europe Attacks
FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Todd Blanche announce charges against a trio accused of coordinating 18 incidents across the UK and US.
By Samantha Reed ·
The Department of Justice unsealed an eight-count superseding indictment on Tuesday charging three men with terrorism-related offenses for their roles in nearly 20 attacks targeting Jewish communities in Europe and the United States. The charges name Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Mohsen Mohajeri, and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani. All three are accused of acting in support of Kataib Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US.
The indictment details 18 terrorist attacks claimed by the group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) during the spring of 2026. Seven of those incidents occurred in the United Kingdom, the highest number for any European country. The attacks involved arson, explosives, and a stabbing in London that nearly killed two Jewish men, one of whom held dual US-British citizenship. The charges also cover a terrorist plot executed at a British Royal Air Force Base in Fairford, United Kingdom, in September 2026, where American armed forces were stationed.
Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, is a commander in Kataib Hezbollah. He was previously identified in May 2026 as a key orchestrator of attacks on Jewish and Israeli sites. Mohajeri is an Iranian national, while al-Hassani is an Iraqi national. Until this indictment, the latter two men had not been publicly named in connection with the European campaign. The court filings allege that the three conspired to commit these acts on behalf of an Iran-aligned network.
The accused operated from different locations while planning the violence. Al-Hassani and Mohajeri were in Iran during the RAF Fairford plot and relied on a network of contacts in the UK. Al-Saadi was imprisoned in the Southern District of New York, awaiting trial on pending terrorism charges. He allegedly coordinated with his co-conspirators from jail by passing coded messages through third parties.
Court records describe specific planning sessions. On or about April 6, Mohajeri and al-Hassani met in a room in Iraq where a map of London was displayed on a computer screen. In a video of the meeting, al-Hassani told Mohajeri, “we need to get focused on London.” HAYI claimed responsibility for six attacks in and around London starting one week later. On or about April 17, the three men directed an individual to carry out an attack in real time via phone.
During that April 17 call, al-Hassani directed the perpetrator’s actions. He instructed the individual to take a lighter, saying, “light one in your hand,” “light it,” and “throw the fourth one.” The following day, on or about April 18, al-Hassani joined a video call with another individual attacking a synagogue in London. He directed the person to “light it up like a Christmas tree.” The individual then lit an improvised explosive device and threw it at the building.
Al-Saadi allegedly attempted to coordinate attacks in the United States in March and April 2026, including a target at a synagogue in Manhattan. He was arrested abroad on or about May 1, 2026, and transferred to US custody. In August, al-Hassani allegedly directed and paid associates in the UK to arrange logistics for the RAF Fairford plot.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the indictment shows Iran’s determination to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the US. Patel stated the FBI has disrupted over 1,300 terrorists and made nearly 7,000 foreign terrorist organization related arrests in the last 21 months, a 1,057 percent increase. “All those who threaten our homeland will get the message, justice will find you,” Patel said.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday that anyone planning a terrorist plot on a military base housing American service members will be prosecuted. “This Department of Justice will continue dismantling terrorist networks and protecting the American people from terrorist organizations,” Blanche said.
The superseding indictment marks the first time US prosecutors have formally charged these three individuals for their specific roles in the 2026 European and American attack campaigns. The case remains pending in the Southern District of New York.
