A dual Iraqi-Iranian national accused of plotting terrorist attacks in the United States and helping coordinate nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe on behalf of Iranian-backed terrorist organizations was indicted Thursday, according to the Justice Department.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al Saadi, 32, was taken into custody while traveling abroad on May 1 and was transferred into FBI custody on May 14 before being brought to New York to face prosecution in the Southern District of New York, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. An eight-count indictment unsealed Thursday accuses him of providing material support to terrorist groups, financing terrorism, and attempting acts of terrorism that transcend national boundaries.
Prosecutors say Saadi attempted to facilitate attacks in the U.S. during March and April of this year. According to the indictment, Saadi attempted to facilitate an attack against a synagogue in New York City.
In relation to that plan, prosecutors say Saadi contacted an individual in the U.S. on April 30 seeking someone who could carry out an attack involving “burning” or “killing” people. Authorities detained Saadi the following day while he was traveling abroad before any attack was carried out.
Saadi was a longtime operative of Kataib Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.
According to a DOJ press release, Saadi played a role in planning and directing approximately 18 attacks and attempted attacks throughout Europe in recent months through a group called Harakat Ashab al Yamin al Islamia, which prosecutors describe as a front for Kataib Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations.
“As alleged in this indictment, Al-Saadi has been directly involved in terrorist operations and military decisions to attack U.S. and Israeli interests across the world and conspired with others to plan deadly attacks on American soil,” Blanche said.
Prosecutors also cited evidence allegedly linking Saadi to a claimed attack on the Israeli Embassy in London.
Investigators were able to recover videos showing individuals in hazmat suits alongside a drone carrying what appeared to be vials of white powder, footage that was later used in propaganda claiming responsibility for an attack involving carcinogenic and radioactive materials.
After being taken into FBI custody, Saadi allegedly waived his Miranda rights and admitted he was a leader within what he called “the resistance,” a network with ties to the Guard, Kataib Hezbollah, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Prosecutors say he described overseeing media operations, psychological warfare, military intelligence, and strategic planning.
The indictment also alleged Saadi maintained close ties to senior Iranian and proxy leaders, including slain Quds Force Cmdr. Qasem Soleimani. Saadi allegedly told investigators he was “like a son” to Soleimani and regularly traveled with him before his death in a U.S. airstrike in 2020.
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FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrest “another high-value target” operation and said the bureau would continue using its resources to disrupt terrorist plots and bring perpetrators to justice.
If convicted on the most serious charges, including attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries and conspiracy to bomb a place of public use, Saadi faces potential life sentences.
