Federal prosecutors in Manhattan released an updated 26-page indictment on Tuesday detailing how detained militant Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi allegedly continued directing terrorist plots in the UK and Europe from a New York jail cell, The Guardian reported.
The eight-count superseding indictment charges al-Saadi alongside two other men, Mohsen Mohajeri and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, with terrorism-related offenses tied to an Iran-aligned proxy network, according to The Jerusalem Post. Investigators say the network is responsible for a wave of low-level arson attacks and sabotage aimed at instilling fear rather than mass casualties.
Of the 18 terrorist attacks claimed by the group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, or Hayi, across Europe in the spring, seven occurred in the United Kingdom, marking the highest concentration in any single European nation, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Did you know? Western security officials believe the entire network behind the European attacks consisted of just seven men who used artificial intelligence-generated propaganda to appear far larger and more sophisticated than they actually were, ITV News reported.
Coded Messages From a New York Jail
Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey in May and extradited to the United States, where he initially declared himself a “prisoner of war” in a Manhattan courtroom. Despite being held in federal custody, al-Saadi placed calls to his family while the FBI recorded the conversations, passing coded instructions to associates abroad.
On September 24, al-Saadi asked after an associate named Ali who had been transferred to an international detention section, instructing family members, “Give him money so we can do it,” according to The Guardian. Investigators say that Ali—identified in the new filing as 35-year-old Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani—was already orchestrating logistical preparations for a target in the Cotswold village adjacent to RAF Fairford.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs in mid-October that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was almost certainly behind the Fairford incident. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood added that authorities assessed the plot was highly likely coordinated by an Iran-based individual and directed by the IRGC.
Real-Time Direction of London Arson Attacks
Earlier in the campaign, video evidence recovered by US prosecutors showed al-Hassani and Mohajeri reviewing a map of the British capital on a laptop. “We need to get focused on London,” Mohajeri told al-Hassani on April 6, as detailed by The Guardian.
That planning preceded six attacks in the capital, including an April 17 incident targeting a premises linked to the Jewish Futures educational charity in Hendon, north London. Footage showed all three defendants connected via a FaceTime video call projected on a screen bearing the Hayi logo while a perpetrator lit a bag of flammable fluid.
During that call, al-Hassani directed the attacker in real time, instructing him to take a lighter, “light one in your hand,” “light it,” and “throw the fourth one,” according to The Guardian.
“This eight-count indictment shows the determination of Iran to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the US,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
Questions Surrounding the Iran-Linked Network
While al-Saadi faces prosecution in New York, questions remain regarding the whereabouts and operational reach of his co-defendants, as well as the full extent of institutional backing inside Tehran. Investigators note that rival branches of the Iranian regime, including the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force and the Ministry of Intelligence, may have concurrently funded the proxy network to secure plausible deniability, ITV News reported.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Indictment
Who are the three men charged in the updated federal indictment?
The US Department of Justice charged Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Mohsen Mohajeri, and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani with terrorism offenses related to Kataib Hezbollah and the IRGC, according to The Jerusalem Post.
How many European attacks were linked to the group?
The group claimed responsibility for 18 terrorist attacks across Europe during the spring, with seven of those incidents occurring in the United Kingdom, The Jerusalem Post reported.
What military installation was allegedly targeted in England?
US and British authorities identified a potential terror plot directed against US Air Force planes and personnel stationed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, leading the US to relocate bombers from the base in September, PBS reported.