The United States Department of Justice has apprehended and formally charged an Iraqi national who is accused of being involved in nearly 20 alleged terrorist attacks and attempted attacks across the United States and Europe.
Charges and Allegations
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi appeared in a federal court in Manhattan on Friday to face six terrorism-related charges. These charges include conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, conspiracy to bomb a place of public use, and attempted destruction of property by means of fire or explosives.
The wave of violence attributed to al-Saadi has caused significant concern in many European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, where Jewish community centres, charities, synagogues, and other sites have been targeted in recent weeks.
Alleged Links to Iran
The justice department alleges that al-Saadi operated as a commander for the Iraqi paramilitary group Kata'ib Hezbollah and worked closely with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Both organizations have been designated as terrorist entities by the United States.
According to the criminal complaint, al-Saadi collaborated extensively with Qassem Suleimani, the former IRGC commander who was killed in a US airstrike in 2020. Photographs included in the complaint appear to show al-Saadi alongside Suleimani, who established multiple networks of operatives and militias across the Middle East and beyond to carry out clandestine attacks.
The department also stated that al-Saadi was close to Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kata'ib Hezbollah, who was killed alongside Suleimani. Following their deaths, al-Saadi allegedly called for attacks against Americans, posting on social media an image of Suleimani and al-Muhandis with the text: "Our revenge for the martyred leaders is ongoing. No negotiations with the occupier."
Specific Attacks
The justice department alleges that al-Saadi was involved in a firebombing attack on New York Mellon, an American bank in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in March. A day after the attack, he allegedly posted a propaganda video that showed aspects of the attack planning, including maps of the location. The video also featured a message stating: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is the Final Warning. To all the peoples of the world, especially in the European Union, Immediately distance yourselves from all American and Zionist interests, facilities, and what is affiliated with them."
Other attacks attributed to al-Saadi include an arson attack on a synagogue in Skopje, North Macedonia, in April, as well as the stabbing of two Jewish men—including a dual US-British citizen—in London, England. These attacks prompted UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to describe a "crisis of antisemitism."
Front Organization
Multiple claims of responsibility for the attacks were made in the name of a previously unknown group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI). The justice department's criminal complaint states that HAYI is a front designed to carry out and further the terrorist goals of Kata'ib Hezbollah, Hezbollah, and the IRGC.
On or about 7 March 2026, al-Saadi allegedly posted a message on a Snapchat account titled "Shadow soldiers" that was intended to activate terrorist cells around the world to engage in attacks in support of the IRGC and its proxies after the US and Israel began waging war in Iran in late February.
US Targets
The complaint cites multiple conversations between al-Saadi and an FBI source, and accuses him of involvement in an abortive attack on a branch of Bank of America in Paris. The operation, which involved petty criminals recruited from underworld circles in the French capital commissioned by an unidentified gang boss, was explicitly linked to Iran by senior French officials.
The justice department also alleged that al-Saadi acted on behalf of Kata'ib Hezbollah and the IRGC in an attempt to carry out terrorist attacks in the US, including by targeting Jewish institutions in New York. On 3 April, he allegedly communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer, identified as UC-1, whom he believed could carry out the attacks.
According to the justice department, "That day, Al-Saadi texted UC-1 photographs and maps showing the exact location of a prominent Jewish synagogue located in New York … as well as two additional US-based Jewish institutions in Los Angeles, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectively, and directed UC-1 to carry out terrorist attacks against those targets." Al-Saadi also discussed with UC-1 whether to use an improvised explosive device or "set the place on fire."
Official Statements
In a statement on Friday, Acting United States Attorney General Todd Blanche said: "Thanks to the dedication and vigilance of law enforcement, this alleged terrorist commander is now in US custody. These charges show American law enforcement will never let such evil go unchecked and will use all tools to disrupt and dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders."
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated: "This case puts into stark relief the global threats posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies like Kata'ib Hezbollah – foreign terrorist organizations that have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities across Europe and the United States since the war began." Tisch noted that her agency, in coordination with partners, "disrupted a plot against a Manhattan synagogue" and ensured the institution's safety when the threat was elevated.
