Iraqi military commander ‘directed and urged’ attacks on Americans and Jews over Iran war, feds say

Key Points:

• Federal authorities arrested Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi for coordinating at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe targeting Americans and Jews, allegedly to end the war in Iran and further the goals of Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC.
• Prosecutors accuse al-Saadi, a commander in the US-designated terrorist group Kataib Hezbollah since 2017, of directing attacks in Canada and attempting to coordinate bombings in the US, including a planned attack on a prominent synagogue in New York City.
• Kataib Hezbollah reportedly operated under the pseudonym Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) for these attacks, which included arson targeting Jewish sites across Europe, according to federal complaints and sources.
• Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey, likely at the request of US authorities, and extradited to the US where he faces multiple charges including conspiracy to provide material support to terrorist organizations and to bomb public places; he was held without bail and has not entered a plea.
• His defense attorney claims al-Saadi is a political prisoner and prisoner of war, linking his prosecution to alleged connections with the late Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, while prosecutors highlight his close ties to other Iranian-backed terrorist leaders.