A federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a 32-year-old dual Iranian-Iraqi national, for providing material support to designated terrorist organizations and related offenses, the Department of Justice announced in a press release.
According to the indictment, Al-Saadi operated as an operative for Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations. Prosecutors allege his involvement in terrorism-related activities began at least as early as 2017 and included participation in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the United States.
“As alleged in this indictment, Al-Saadi has been directly involved in terrorist operations and military decisions to attack U.S. and Israeli interests across the world and conspired with others to plan deadly attacks on American soil,” acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
“Now that he has been removed from his perch as an alleged commander of Kata’ib Hizballah with close ties to the Iranian regime and its proxies around the world, we look forward to vigorously prosecuting him under American law in an American courtroom.”
Court records state that Al-Saadi collaborated with senior leaders of Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC. After U.S. airstrikes killed certain leaders of these groups, he allegedly directed others to seek retribution by targeting U.S. citizens as well as U.S. political and military figures.
In recent months, Al-Saadi is accused of helping plan and direct about 18 attacks and attempted attacks in Europe. These operations were conducted under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which the indictment describes as a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and other designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Between March and April 2026, Al-Saadi allegedly worked to organize attacks inside the United States, including one targeting a synagogue in New York City. On or about April 30, he contacted an individual in the United States, identified in court papers as SOI-1, and asked about finding someone who could carry out an attack, including by “burning, . . . or whatever he can,” and including “killing.”
Al-Saadi was detained abroad the next day. On or about May 14, he was transferred to FBI custody and brought to the Southern District of New York. Authorities also seized electronic devices from him, including an Apple iPhone referred to as the “Al-Saadi Phone.”
Iraqi National Charged in Iran-Backed Terror Plot Targeting U.S. and Jewish Sites
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, an Iraqi national and alleged senior member of Kata’ib Hizballah, was arrested and charged May 15 with six terrorism-related offenses tied to alleged… pic.twitter.com/DWKn1g1vQm
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) May 29, 2026
While in custody during transport to the United States, Al-Saadi waived his Miranda rights and provided voluntary statements to law enforcement. He described himself as a leader of “the resistance,” a term he used to encompass the IRGC and its proxies, including Kata’ib Hizballah, Hizballah, and the Houthis — all of which are designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
Al-Saadi told investigators he had close personal connections to IRGC leadership. He stated he was “like a son” to Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. airstrike around 2020. Al-Saadi said he had been traveling with Soleimani and was scheduled to drive him to a meeting with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, then-leader of Kata’ib Hizballah, on the day both men were killed.
He also claimed a close relationship with Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said he met with him in Iran about three days before the current conflict with Iran began on or about February 28, when Khamenei was killed.
Prosecutors allege Al-Saadi participated in real-time FaceTime calls during some of the European attacks, assisted in producing and distributing propaganda videos, and coordinated with a Kata’ib Hizballah member on timing, messaging, and psychological operations. In one exchange, he instructed the contact to post videos of attacks on news outlets and wrote: “[t]he most important thing is that within the psychological warfare, they [referring to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya’s messages] are useful,” and “anything that distracts the enemy is useful.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the FBI, NYPD, and other agencies, along with the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division.
