Federal prosecutors say a planned terror campaign targeting Jewish institutions in New York, Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, was disrupted and a man linked to the alleged scheme has been arrested and brought to New York.
Authorities identified the suspect in court filings as Mohammad Al‑Saadi, an Iraqi national who was detained in Turkey within 24 hours of the announcement and extradited to Manhattan. He appeared in federal court where prosecutors said he arranged to hire someone — who turned out to be an undercover officer — to carry out attacks in multiple U.S. cities. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators “disrupted a plan to attack a Manhattan synagogue” and worked with synagogue leaders to increase security after the threat emerged.
According to prosecutors, Al‑Saadi sent maps of a Manhattan synagogue and Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale and agreed to pay the operative roughly $10,000 for a New York attack. Prosecutors say he sent about $3,000 in cryptocurrency as a down payment in early April. Investigators say the suspect exchanged messages indicating he wanted an attack soon. Officials told CBS News that Al‑Saadi is accused of trying to hire someone to carry out multiple assaults and that he did not act alone.
Prosecutors have also linked Al‑Saadi to other attacks overseas, alleging he helped plan roughly 18 attacks across Europe after a recent regional conflict began. Those allegations include strikes on a synagogue and a Jewish school in Belgium and the stabbing of two Jewish men in London in the prior month. Federal filings say Al‑Saadi is a commander in Kata’ib Hezbollah, a group prosecutors describe as Iran‑backed and tied to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard; the filings note he is pictured in past photos with the late Qasem Soleimani. The government says his motivation was retaliatory, tied to the U.S. and Israeli actions connected to Iran.
Al‑Saadi faces multiple federal charges, including providing material support for acts of terrorism. He kept a neutral demeanor in court as the charges were read. His defense attorney called the case political, saying the prosecution is punishing his client for those associations and signaling they will raise political arguments in his defense.
Law enforcement officials said the case resulted from an investigation that used an undercover operative and international cooperation. They stressed the operation prevented the planned strikes and that they continue to investigate potential co‑conspirators.
Security and terrorism analysts warn that when conflicts involve state actors and proxy groups, individuals and small cells can be inspired to carry out attacks abroad. CBS contributors noted that even if larger kinetic operations subside, inspired actors may attempt isolated retaliatory attacks against Jewish communities or other targets.
Tom Hanson reported from New York. CBS News will update this story as more information and official filings become available.