American authorities announced on Friday the arrest and indictment of a commander of a pro-Iranian Iraqi militia accused of planning attacks in the United States, Canada, and Europe, particularly targeting Jewish or Israeli sites. Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, identified as a Kata’ib Hezbollah leader, an Iraqi pro-Iranian armed group, is a “high-value target responsible for acts of global terrorism,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. According to Washington, Kata’ib Hezbollah, classified as a “terrorist group,” is part of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a pro-Iran nebula that regularly claims drone and rocket attacks on bases hosting American soldiers in Iraq and the Middle East. The exact role of Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi remains unclear, with court documents referring to propaganda videos circulated on social networks after various attacks. American authorities believe that these include a shootout on March 10 at the U.S. consulate in Toronto, which did not result in injuries. In the United States, the suspect reportedly provided an undercover agent with photographs and maps indicating the location of a major synagogue in New York, as well as two other Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale (Arizona), instructing to carry out terrorist attacks. He also discussed over the phone with the undercover agent the method to be used for the New York synagogue, mentioning an improvised explosive device. No attack took place, however. Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi had reportedly worked closely with Iranian General Kassem Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards killed in 2020 by a U.S. strike ordered by Donald Trump. The most serious charge against him is “conspiracy to explode a public place,” which carries a potential life sentence. Todd Blanche, the acting Minister of Justice, stated in response that “these indictments show that U.S. law enforcement will use every means to dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders.”
