U.S. Indictment Details London Synagogue Attack Directed via Video Call
U.S. prosecutors revealed that an April attack on a London synagogue was directed in real time via video call by operatives linked to an Iranian terror network.
U.S. federal prosecutors have unsealed an updated indictment detailing how a London synagogue was attacked in April via a real-time video call, with handlers allegedly linked to an Iranian terror network directing the operation from afar.
According to the indictment filed in New York on Tuesday, Mohammad Ali al-Hasani communicated with the assailant on April 18, instructing him to set the building on fire. During the video call, the attacker ignited an improvised explosive device and hurled it toward the synagogue. Prosecutors assert that the handler monitored the act live and issued direct orders to the operative on the ground.
Al-Hasani faces charges alongside Mohammad Baqer al-Saadi and Mohsen Mohajeri. U.S. authorities state that the defendants acted on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi armed faction backed by Iran. They are linked to nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States.
The indictment also outlines a conspiracy to target RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, a military base hosting U.S. forces. According to prosecutors, al-Saadi attempted to help coordinate the activity even from custody by passing coded messages through intermediaries.
Concerns over potential threats to U.S. personnel in Britain have previously prompted precautionary measures, including the relocation of refueling aircraft from RAF Mildenhall and the withdrawal of strategic bombers from Fairford following security alerts.
