UK citizen’s citizenship revoked over Iran-backed plots
Mohammed Ali al‑Hassani charged in US for directing European terror plots, with two London men facing charges in UK.
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Mohammed Ali al‑Hassani, a dual Iranian‑Iraqi national, had his UK citizenship revoked last month. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood informed al‑Hassani that the decision was made due to national security concerns, according to reports. Al‑Hassani is now facing charges in the United States for allegedly directing Iran-backed terror plots across Europe.
RAF Fairford Incident and UK Charges
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The attack on 18 April 2026 follows an eight‑count indictment by the US Department of Justice that accuses three Iran‑backed suspects of planning multiple attacks across the capital.
Al‑Hassani is accused by the US Department of Justice of directing and paying associates in the United Kingdom to undertake preparatory actions and logistical arrangements for a plot targeting RAF Fairford. This incident involved the search of three "suspicious" vans by police near the Gloucestershire air base on September 27. Two London men, Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24, have been charged at Westminster Magistrates’ Court under the National Security Act in relation to this event.
Abdulkarim is alleged to have acted as an intermediary for an Iranian handler known as "Ali", while Essghir is accused of entering a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the UK, reportedly related to reconnaissance missions prior to the Fairford incident. The US unsealed an eight-count indictment against al‑Hassani, charging him with masterminding 18 Iran-backed terrorist plots in Europe, seven of which allegedly occurred in the UK.
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The indictment also includes allegations that al‑Hassani, alongside Mohsen Mohajeri, used a network of contacts in the UK to orchestrate the Fairford plot. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, already imprisoned in the US, is accused of passing coded messages from jail to the pair. The three men are alleged to have worked for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. The US has stated that al‑Hassani is accused of paying an individual to conduct pre-operational surveillance of RAF Fairford’s perimeter and tasking others to procure vans, fuel, and materials for potential explosives.
Iran has denied any involvement in the incident. A Home Office spokesperson stated that commenting would be inappropriate due to ongoing legal proceedings but affirmed the government's commitment to confronting threats from Iran with increased funding and new powers for police and intelligence agencies.
Questions this report answers
+Why was Mohammed Ali al‑Hassani’s UK citizenship revoked?
Mohammed Ali al‑Hassani’s UK citizenship was revoked last month by the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, for national security reasons. This decision was communicated to al‑Hassani in a letter.
+What are the charges against Mohammed Ali al‑Hassani in the US?
Al‑Hassani faces an eight-count indictment in the US, charging him with directing and paying associates in the UK to conduct preparatory steps and logistics for Iran-backed terror plots in Europe, including an incident at RAF Fairford.
+What charges do the two London men face?
Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both from London, have been charged at Westminster Magistrates’ Court under the National Security Act. Abdulkarim is accused of acting as an intermediary for an Iranian handler, while Essghir faces charges related to entering a prohibited place.
+How many Iran-backed plots are al‑Hassani and his associates accused of?
Al‑Hassani and his associates are accused of masterminding 18 Iran-backed terrorist plots in Europe. Seven of these alleged plots occurred in the UK, which is more than any other country mentioned.
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