Iraqi National Charged in U.S. With Directing Attacks on Western and Jewish Targets in Europe, Canada

U.S. and Israeli interests, including the stabbing of a Jewish-American citizen, in retaliation for the war in Iran and in an effort to halt the conflict, according to a federal criminal complaint. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi allegedly firebombed a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam, tried to detonate improvised explosives at the Bank of America building in Paris, coordinated an attack against Jewish institutions in the United States and stabbed two people in London.

He and his associates planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe as well as two additional attacks in Canada, all carried out in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a component of Kata’ib Hizballah. U.S.

And Israeli interests, including by killing Americans and Jews. The actions were allegedly in retaliation for the Iranian Military Conflict. ABC News reported that the 20 attacks took place in the name of the Kata’ib Hizballah component.

Al-Saadi is a high-level member of the Kata’ib Hizballah paramilitary group and has ties to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, according to federal prosecutors. He is pictured with the late Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

The defendant allegedly pledged thousands of dollars to someone he thought would carry out an attack against a synagogue in New York. The person turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi faces charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorist groups and conspiracy to bomb a place of public use.

He is expected to make an initial appearance on May 15, 2026 in Manhattan federal court. ABC News reported the charges on May 15, 2026 at 11:04 AM in an article by Aaron Katersky. The complaint details how Al-Saadi and his associates claimed responsibility for the attacks while operating under the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya banner.

Federal prosecutors tied the entire campaign to efforts to influence the Iranian Military Conflict. The federal criminal complaint alleges that the 18 European attacks and two Canadian attacks formed a sustained operation against American, Israeli and Jewish targets.

Al-Saadi's specific acts included the Amsterdam firebombing, the attempted Paris explosives detonation, the London stabbings and the stabbing of a Jewish-American citizen.

His coordination of an attack against Jewish institutions in the United States formed a central element of the alleged plot. Prosecutors stated that Al-Saadi's direction to kill Americans and Jews was explicitly framed as retaliation for the war in Iran.

The undercover sting that captured his pledge of thousands of dollars to what he believed was a synagogue attacker provided investigators with direct evidence of his intent.

That interaction, along with the broader pattern of claimed attacks, underpins the conspiracy charges now pending in Manhattan.