Iraqi accused of terrorism attacks and plots in US and Europe arrested and charged

Key Points:

• The US Justice Department arrested Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, charging him with involvement in nearly 20 alleged terror attacks across the US and Europe, including plots targeting Jewish institutions.
• Al-Saadi is accused of acting as a commander for the Iraqi paramilitary group Kata’ib Hezbollah and working closely with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both designated terrorist organizations by the US.
• The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, conspiracy to bomb public places, and attempted destruction of property by fire or explosives, with specific plots linked to attacks in New York, Amsterdam, London, and North Macedonia.
• The Justice Department alleges al-Saadi used a front group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) to further terrorist goals and attempted to activate cells worldwide to carry out attacks in support of the IRGC amid US-Israel conflicts with Iran.
• US law enforcement emphasized the global threat posed by Iranian-backed groups and highlighted the disruption of a plot against a Manhattan synagogue, underscoring ongoing vigilance against foreign terrorist activities targeting Jewish communities.