An Iraqi national has been charged with orchestrating a series of terrorist attacks across Europe and North America targeting U.S. and Israeli interests, according to a federal complaint. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi is accused of participating in at least 18 attacks in Europe, including violent assaults and bombings, as part of an effort to retaliate against the ongoing military conflict involving Iran.
The complaint alleges al-Saadi firebombed a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam and attempted to detonate explosives at the Bank of America building in Paris. Additionally, he is said to have coordinated assaults on Jewish institutions in the United States and stabbed two individuals in London, including a Jewish-American citizen. He faces charges that include conspiracy to provide material support to terrorist organizations and conspiracy to bomb public places.
Federal prosecutors identify al-Saadi as a senior member of Kata’ib Hizballah, a paramilitary group with close ties to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah. The complaint asserts that al-Saadi has actively directed others to attack U.S. and Israeli targets, aiming to advance the strategic objectives of Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC amid the geopolitical tensions involving Iran.
The complaint also states that al-Saadi and his network have claimed responsibility for many of these attacks under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, an operational component of Kata’ib Hizballah. In a notable incident, he allegedly offered substantial funds to an individual he believed would carry out an attack on a synagogue in New York City; the intended target was protected after the person was revealed to be an undercover law enforcement officer.
Al-Saadi is scheduled to appear in federal court in Manhattan to face these charges. The case highlights the ongoing challenges posed by transnational terrorist networks linked to state-sponsored groups in the Middle East, operating in multiple countries to conduct attacks motivated by the Iran conflict.