Iraqi suspect charged in plot against Jewish sites across U.S.

Federal prosecutors say an Iraqi national and senior Kata’ib Hizballah member plotted attacks on Jewish institutions across the United States, including a Manhattan synagogue and Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, before undercover law enforcement disrupted the plan.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi was arrested overseas, transferred into U.S. custody and brought to New York, where he made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court and was ordered detained pending trial. The Justice Department said Friday that Al-Saadi faces a six-count complaint tied to terrorism-related offenses and alleged involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the United States.

Court records say the plot moved beyond rhetoric. Investigators allege Al-Saadi provided photos and maps of Jewish centers to an undercover law-enforcement officer and, in an April 1 phone call, asked how much it would cost to hire someone to carry out a bombing in the United States. Reporting on the complaint says he later offered $3,000 in one exchange and then $10,000 to an undercover operative, while also asking for attacks to be recorded on camera.

The complaint also places Al-Saadi within a wider overseas campaign. Prosecutors say he and associates planned, coordinated and claimed responsibility for at least 18 attacks in Europe and two in Canada under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a component of Kata’ib Hizballah. The alleged attacks were carried out in places including Amsterdam, Paris, North Macedonia, London and Toronto, and were tied in the complaint to retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. The filing also links the case to the legacy of Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed in a 2020 U.S. strike.

New York officials said the threat was stopped before anyone was hurt because Al-Saadi unknowingly communicated with an undercover officer. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the plot was “identified, monitored, and controlled from the outset,” and said the targeted synagogue was selected because it was seen as “a beacon for solidarity and support to Israel.” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was relieved no one was hurt, and Gov. Kathy Hochul thanked law enforcement for disrupting what she called a horrifying plot.

The case lands amid sharply elevated antisemitic violence in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League reported 6,274 antisemitic incidents in 2025, the third-highest total since it began tracking in 1979, averaging 17 incidents a day. The complaint also reflects an international intelligence dimension, with British intelligence reportedly monitoring the group and aware of its intent to expand attacks to the United States.