Federal prosecutors say an Iraqi national allegedly plotted terror attacks in the United States, including a plan to target a prominent New York synagogue. Authorities identified the defendant as 32-year-old Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, who faces multiple charges including conspiracy to provide material support to Iranian-backed terrorist organizations such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Kata’ib Hizballah.
Al-Saadi appeared in federal court in Lower Manhattan and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Court filings and prosecutors say the planned attack was disrupted after Al-Saadi communicated and negotiated with an undercover law enforcement agent. Officials credited the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New York City Police Department and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York for identifying, monitoring and controlling the threat.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, speaking at Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side, said the targeted synagogue would not be publicly named but that police were working with its leadership to ensure security. According to prosecutors, Al-Saadi told an associate he chose that synagogue because it was “a beacon for solidarity and support to Israel.”
Court documents include images that prosecutors say show Al-Saadi meeting the late Qasem Soleimani, the former IRGC commander. Authorities allege Al-Saadi is a commander for Kata’ib Hizballah and has been involved in planning, executing and promoting roughly 18 reported terror attacks in Europe and two in Canada directed at U.S. and Israeli interests since March 9, as retaliation for military actions in Iran. Prosecutors say he posted propaganda about those attacks online and that British intelligence had been tracking the group and had concerns about an expansion of operations to U.S. soil.
Prosecutors say Al-Saadi attempted to recruit an undercover agent, providing photos and maps of the specific New York synagogue and of Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, and asking whether it was possible to “set the three locations on fire at the same time.” In a recorded phone call on April 1, investigators say he asked how much it would cost to hire someone “to carry out a bombing operation” in the United States.
According to charging papers, Al-Saadi and the undercover agent agreed on a price of $10,000 in cryptocurrency to carry out the attack. Prosecutors say Al-Saadi sent $3,000 in crypto as a down payment and demanded the attack occur on April 6. He was later arrested in Turkey, turned over to U.S. authorities and brought to the United States.
Officials and elected leaders emphasized the gravity of the case and the threat it represented. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said law enforcement will use all tools to disrupt foreign terrorist organizations. Commissioner Tisch warned the charges underscore global threats posed by the Iranian regime and proxies like Kata’ib Hizballah, which she said have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul thanked law enforcement for disrupting the plot and said additional security measures were in place.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Al-Saadi sought to intimidate and harm Americans and that federal prosecutors are committed to dismantling terrorist networks and bringing those responsible to justice. Al-Saadi’s attorney, Andrew Dalack, contended his client is being politically prosecuted for his alleged ties to Soleimani and said Al-Saadi should be treated as a prisoner of war.
The case remains under investigation by federal and local authorities, who say the plot was contained before any attack occurred.