Iraqi Militia Commander Charged in Alleged Plot Targeting Jewish Sites in U.S.
U.S. prosecutors accuse Kataib Hezbollah commander of coordinating attacks linked to Iran conflict across Europe, Canada, and the United States
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - U.S. federal authorities have charged an Iraqi militia commander accused of plotting attacks against Jewish and American targets in the United States, including an alleged plan targeting a synagogue in New York City.
The New York Times reported on Friday that, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday in federal court in Manhattan, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi is accused of directing and encouraging attacks against U.S. and Israeli interests following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Federal prosecutors allege Al-Saadi is a senior commander within Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Iraqi militia closely linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and long accused of attacks against American military forces and diplomatic targets across the Middle East.
According to the complaint and reporting by The New York Times, investigators accuse Al-Saadi of discussing possible attacks on synagogues in New York City and encouraging operations targeting Americans and Jews in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Prosecutors allege the activities were part of broader retaliation efforts linked to U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran and escalating regional tensions involving Iran-backed armed groups.
The complaint accuses Al-Saadi of involvement in at least 18 attacks in Europe and additional operations in Canada since late February. Prosecutors say the alleged attacks included firebombing a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam, attempted bomb attacks in Paris, stabbings targeting Jewish individuals in London, an attack on a synagogue in Canada, and a shooting incident near the U.S. consulate in Toronto.
According to prosecutors, Al-Saadi also discussed plans targeting Jewish institutions in New York City, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Investigators allege he provided maps and photographs of Jewish centers to an undercover law enforcement officer and pledged financial support for a planned attack on a synagogue in New York.
The New York Times reported that federal investigators monitored communications connected to the alleged plots and that U.S. authorities increasingly view the case as part of broader concerns surrounding Iran-linked proxy networks potentially targeting Jewish or Israeli-linked sites abroad.
The report described the case as one of the most serious alleged Iran-linked external attack plots inside the United States in recent years.
Federal prosecutors charged Al-Saadi with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism, conspiracy to bomb public places, and supporting designated foreign terrorist organizations.
The complaint further states that Al-Saadi had ties to former Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020.
During an initial court appearance Friday, Al-Saadi reportedly described himself as a “political prisoner” and a “prisoner of war.” According to his lawyer, he was arrested in Türkiye before being transferred to U.S. custody, though American authorities have not publicly disclosed further operational details.
Neither the Iraqi government nor Kataib Hezbollah had immediately commented on the charges.
The case comes amid heightened international security concerns tied to the expanding regional fallout from the Iran conflict and growing fears of retaliatory attacks targeting Western and Jewish institutions worldwide.