The United States announced on Friday, May 15 that Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi has been arrested. He is identified as a leader of the Hezbollah Brigades (Kata’ib Hezbollah), an Iraqi pro-Iranian armed group. He is accused of planning 18 attacks in the United States, Canada, and Europe, targeting Jewish sites.
American authorities disclosed on Friday, May 15 the arrest and indictment of a commander of an Iraqi pro-Iranian militia, whom they accuse of planning attacks in the United States, Canada, and Europe, particularly against Jewish sites.
Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, identified as a leader of the Hezbollah Brigades (Kata’ib Hezbollah), an Iraqi pro-Iranian armed group, is considered a “high-value target, responsible for mass terrorism acts on a global scale”, praised FBI Director Kash Patel.
Designated as a “terrorist group” by Washington, the Hezbollah Brigades are part of the “Islamic resistance in Iraq”, a pro-Iranian group claiming responsibility for drone and rocket attacks on bases hosting American soldiers in Iraq and the Middle East.
Without specifying the location or date of his arrest, which occurred abroad, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that he was transferred to the United States and presented before a federal judge in New York on Friday, where he was indicted on six charges related to terrorist activities. He is currently in custody.
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 against the military offensive launched since February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The Department of Justice mentioned the stabbing attack against two Jewish men in London late April, the arrest of the perpetrator awaiting trial. They also reported several arson or attempted arson incidents targeting synagogues, Israeli businesses, or Jewish schools in Amsterdam, Munich, and elsewhere.
The exact role of Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi remains unclear, with court documents mentioning propaganda videos shared on social media after various attacks.
During a telephone conversation, he reportedly told an FBI informant that he or his associates were involved in the European attacks, as well as in two Canadian attacks. American authorities believe these include a shooting on March 10 against the U.S. consulate in Toronto, which resulted in no injuries.
Regarding his plans in the United States, the suspect allegedly provided photographs and maps to an undercover agent indicating the location of a major synagogue in New York, along with two other Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale (Arizona), instructing him to carry out terrorist attacks. He also discussed by phone with the undercover agent the method to use for the New York synagogue, mentioning an improvised explosive device. However, no attack took place.
According to the Department of Justice, Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi had previously worked in “close collaboration” with Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guards killed in 2020 by a U.S. strike ordered by Donald Trump. He had also publicly called on several occasions to launch attacks against Americans.
In a message in February addressed to “the Shiites of Iraq,” cited by American authorities, he wrote: “Do not betray the blood of your Imam (…) Kill all those who support America and Israel. Leave none of them alive. Civilian and military targets, as well as dissenting voices, kill them everywhere.”
The most serious charge brought against him is “conspiracy to explode a public place,” punishable by life imprisonment. “These indictments show that American law enforcement agencies will use all means to dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders,” reacted interim Attorney General Todd Blanche.
