A federal indictment charges Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national and alleged operative for Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, with plotting and directing multiple attacks across Europe and attempts to target the United States, including a synagogue in New York.

The Justice Department returned an eight-count indictment accusing Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi of a string of terrorism-related crimes tied to Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Prosecutors say his activities date back to at least 2017 and include planning roughly 18 European attacks and attempted operations on American soil. The charges range from providing material support to attempted acts of terrorism that transcend national boundaries.

Al-Saadi, described as 32 years old and holding Iraqi and Iranian nationality, faces counts that carry severe penalties: up to 20 years for material support to designated terrorist groups, up to 15 years for material support for acts of terrorism, and in some counts life in prison for attempted terrorism and conspiring to bomb public places. There are also counts for attempted destruction of property by explosives with a five-year mandatory minimum and a separate count for financing terrorism. Those statutory maximums and minimums are set by Congress and sentencing will be decided by a judge.

According to the charging documents, Al-Saadi worked closely with senior leadership in Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, and after U.S. airstrikes killed certain leaders he allegedly directed retribution against U.S. citizens and officials. Prosecutors say he handled media, psychological warfare, strategy, and military intelligence for what he called “the resistance.” As part of that role he allegedly coordinated propaganda and real-time support for violent attacks.

“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,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The indictment paints him as a commander-level actor with direct ties to the Iranian regime and its proxies, and federal authorities say they intend to prosecute him vigorously in U.S. court.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York emphasized the existential threat posed by Iran-backed terror networks and their proxies. “Al-Saadi claims to be part of the ‘resistance,’ a group that includes the IRGC, an Iran-based designated foreign terrorist organization. These organizations have a stated goal of destroying our society and our collective commitment to freedom, security, and a better world for our children. The IRGC’s claims are not just rhetoric, they are taking action around the world to undermine America and American values,” Clayton said.

Investigators allege Al-Saadi helped plan and execute a coordinated string of attacks across Europe that were claimed under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which prosecutors say functions as a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and allied groups. The indictment describes how Al-Saadi collected and disseminated propaganda videos, coordinated attackers in real time via encrypted calls, and advised contacts to publicize footage to amplify terror. One alleged exchange quoted in filings shows him instructing associates to post footage to the news and to continue psychological operations to distract and terrorize.

In March and April 2026, authorities say Al-Saadi also tried to orchestrate attacks in the United States, including an effort to find someone to “attack” a synagogue in New York. On April 30 he allegedly called an individual in the United States and asked if that person knew someone who could “attack” here, including by “burning, . . . or whatever he can,” and “killing.” The next day Al-Saadi was detained while traveling abroad and was later transferred into FBI custody.

“The FBI’s successful FTOC of Mohammad Al-Saadi, another high-value target responsible for mass global terrorism, is just the latest success in this administration’s historic work to bring terrorists to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, alongside federal and state partners, led the investigation and worked with international allies to locate and detain him. Those partnerships are being highlighted as a needed, effective response to transnational terror threats.

After his transfer to the United States on or about May 14, Al-Saadi waived his Miranda rights and made voluntary statements to U.S. agents, according to filings. He reportedly admitted a leadership role within “the resistance” and said he oversaw media operations for Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya. The statements, combined with data seized from his devices, are cited by prosecutors as key evidence linking him to planning, filming, and promoting the European attacks.

Devices recovered from Al-Saadi allegedly include videos and photos of him meeting with IRGC and Kata’ib Hizballah leaders, material glorifying terrorist groups, and footage of him with heavy weapons. Prosecutors note a photo dated Feb. 12, 2024, of Al-Saadi in front of machineguns in a room he later described as a “military intelligence” center for the resistance, with a map of the United States and redacted lists of so-called targets on the wall.

The indictment also details encrypted messages and media consistent with propaganda claiming responsibility for attacks, including content that appeared to show drones carrying suspicious vials and footage from attacks on synagogues and public spaces. Investigators say Al-Saadi communicated with a designated Kata’ib Hizballah contact during the European incidents and coordinated the timing and distribution of propaganda to maximize terror. He was detained shortly after allegedly sending messages that suggested further violence was planned.

The prosecution is being handled by the National Security and International Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and other federal and state partners. As the case moves forward, the indictment stands as an example of aggressive law enforcement action against state-backed terrorist networks that threaten American communities and allies abroad.