The FBI arrests a man planning attacks against Jewish sites in the United States and Europe

American authorities announced on Friday the arrest of Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, described as one of the leaders of the Hezbollah Brigades (Kata’ib Hezbollah), an Iraqi militia pro-Iran classified as a terrorist organization by Washington. According to court documents cited by several American media outlets, he is accused of plotting attacks targeting the United States, Canada, and several European countries, including against Jewish sites in Los Angeles and New York.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the operation on the X network on Friday. “FBI agents have just arrested and brought back Mohammed Al-Saadi,” he said, describing the suspect as a “high-value target responsible for acts of mass terrorism on a global scale.” The exact role of Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi remains unclear, with court documents mentioning propaganda videos distributed on social media after various attacks.

Origin of attacks on American bases

According to American authorities, this 32-year-old Iraqi national and his associates “planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe and two additional attacks in Canada” in retaliation for the military offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. The FBI believes these include a shooting on March 10 at the U.S. consulate in Toronto, which did not result in any injuries. Regarding the United States, the suspect allegedly provided an undercover agent with photographs and maps indicating the location of a significant synagogue in New York, as well as two other Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mohammed Al-Saadi had close ties with Iranian General Qassem Soleimani before his death in 2020. Authorities also accuse him of publicly calling for the killing of Americans and Israeli supporters. He faces charges including “conspiracy to explode a public place,” punishable by life imprisonment, as well as five other charges related to terrorist activities. He has been placed in custody pending trial.

The Hezbollah Brigades are part of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups that regularly claim drone and rocket attacks on bases hosting American soldiers in the Middle East.