WorldPosted at: Nov 11 2026 3:20PM


Iran-backed operative allegedly orchestrated RAF Base attack plot through coded messages from New York jail

Washington, Nov 11 (UNI) A commander of an Iranian terrorist proxy group allegedly helped orchestrate a failed attack on a British Air Force base housing US bombers — using coded messages relayed through family members while sitting in a federal jail in New York, according to a new US indictment.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an alleged commander associated with Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah, is accused of coordinating the September plot to attack RAF Fairford in southwest England, where US B-1 bombers were stationed. Prosecutors allege that he communicated instructions through intermediaries, even after being arrested and placed in custody in the United States.
The eight-count superseding indictment, made public on Tuesday, names two other alleged operatives — Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri and Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani as co-conspirators. The Justice Department alleges that the three worked together to organise the attack, with Al-Saadi directing operations through coded messages passed via third parties.
According to prosecutors, preparations for the attack began in August, with associates allegedly instructed to conduct surveillance of RAF Fairford, procure vans and barrels of fuel, and make arrangements for the vehicles to reach the base.
The plan, investigators allege, was to turn the fuel-filled vans into vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and drive them towards the military installation. The vehicles were reportedly to carry customised decals resembling those of a fuel delivery or swimming-pool supply business to avoid attracting suspicion.
Prosecutors further allege that those involved researched chemical accelerants and sought to obtain metal that could be used as shrapnel to increase the destructive impact of the attack, US media reported.
The alleged plot came to light in September when British police intercepted three suspicious vehicles heading towards the air base. Seven men were initially arrested on suspicion of involvement in a terrorist plot, although they were subsequently released on stringent conditions after no explosives were found in the vans. Several were rearrested in late October amid growing concerns over possible Iranian involvement.
What makes the case particularly striking is the allegation that Al-Saadi continued directing the operation from behind bars, as per reports.
Already in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, following his arrest earlier this year on terrorism-related charges, Al-Saadi allegedly used telephone conversations with family members to relay instructions, arrange payments and communicate with his co-conspirators.
Prosecutors said he used coded language to discuss the operation, referring to it as 'work' or a 'job'. In one recorded conversation in July, he allegedly asked his sister whether their 'old work' had been cancelled or put on hold. She reportedly replied: 'It isn't cancelled.'
In another call on September 24, prosecutors allege, Al-Saadi instructed his family to 'give him money so we can do it'. Three days later, his alleged associates attempted to carry out the attack on the RAF base, according to the indictment.
The Justice Department had previously imposed special administrative measures restricting Al-Saadi's communications, allowing contact only with immediate family members and his lawyers. He was also placed in a special housing unit after authorities determined that his communications could pose a substantial risk of death or serious injury.
In a court filing, prosecutors said recorded calls showed Al-Saadi using coded expressions and warning relatives to avoid certain words so that their conversations would not be cut short.
The indictment also places Al-Saadi within a wider network of Iranian military and militant operatives. Prosecutors allege that he had previously worked closely with Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, who was killed in a US drone strike in January 2020, CNN reported.
He was reportedly regarded by Soleimani as being like a son and was expected to be with him when the Iranian commander was killed.
US prosecutors have also alleged that Al-Saadi had close links to Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and warned him three days before the US launched its war against Iran of a possible American strike. Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of US-Israeli strikes in February.
Al-Saadi was initially indicted in May on charges including conspiracy to provide material support to Iran-backed terrorist organisations, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Kataib Hezbollah. Prosecutors have separately accused him of helping organise attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe, filming some of the incidents through FaceTime calls and turning the footage into propaganda material.
He is also accused of attempting to recruit someone in April to carry out potential attacks in the United States, including against a prominent Manhattan synagogue. The person he was communicating with was an undercover agent, and Al-Saadi was arrested while travelling in Turkey.
Following his arrest, prosecutors said, Al-Saadi described himself as being involved in media operations, psychological warfare, strategy and military intelligence for Iran and allied militant groups, which he collectively referred to as 'the resistance'.
Al-Saadi has pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges. Mohajeri and al-Hassani have also been charged in the new indictment, but are not in custody, according to sources familiar with the matter.UNI XC AAB
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