Iraqi National Charged with Plotting Terror Attacks Targeting U.S. and Jewish Institutions

Iraqi Terror Operative Arrested on Multiple Charges

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national and senior member of Kata'ib Hizballah, was charged with six counts of terrorism-related offenses for his involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks throughout Europe and the United States.

Scope of Alleged Attacks

The Iraqi national allegedly carried out 20 reported terrorist attacks in Europe and Canada against U.S. and Israeli interests, including firebombing a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam and attempting to detonate improvised explosives at the Bank of America building in Paris. On April 29, 2026, an individual stabbed and seriously injured two Jewish men—including a dual U.S.-British citizen—in London, United Kingdom.

U.S.-Based Targets

In April and May 2026, Al-Saadi allegedly attempted to coordinate and carry out terrorist attacks to kill individuals in the United States, including by targeting Jewish institutions in New York, New York, and elsewhere. Federal prosecutors said Al-Saadi spoke to an FBI undercover officer and paid $3,000 to plan attacks in California, Arizona and a synagogue in Manhattan.

Terrorist Affiliations

Al-Saadi is a high-level member of the Kata'ib Hizballah paramilitary group and has ties to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, according to federal prosecutors. He is being held without bail in a federal facility in Brooklyn and faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charges against him.