NEW YORK, May 16, 2026 — The FBI has successfully arrested and extradited Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi national and senior commander in the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, on federal terrorism charges.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the operation on X, describing it as the second FBI-led Foreign Transfer of Custody (FTOC) in just 12 hours. He hailed al-Saadi as a “high-value target allegedly responsible for mass global terrorist attacks” who was believed to be planning multiple strikes in the United States.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday in Manhattan federal court, al-Saadi faces six terrorism-related counts, including conspiracy to provide material support to Kata’ib Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Prosecutors allege he coordinated or claimed responsibility for at least 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe, Canada, and the U.S. since the start of heightened Iran-related conflicts.
Alleged Plot Details
The charges link al-Saadi to a series of operations under the banner of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a Kata’ib Hezbollah component. These include:
- Firebombings of banks and other targets in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
- An arson attack on a synagogue.
- A shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto.
- Attacks on Jewish sites in the UK, such as the stabbing of two Jewish men in London’s Golders Green neighborhood.
- Plans for attacks on Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, and a Manhattan synagogue.
Al-Saadi allegedly provided funds, instructions, photos, and maps to undercover operatives for these plots, motivated by retaliation against U.S. and Israeli interests. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Operation and Court Appearance
Authorities detained al-Saadi in Turkey before transferring him into U.S. custody. FBI Director Patel credited the operation’s success to close coordination with CIRG tactical units, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, the Department of Justice under Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and international partners.
Al-Saadi appeared in Manhattan federal court on Friday, May 16, 2026, where he was ordered detained pending further proceedings. He has not entered a plea.
This arrest underscores the FBI’s intensified focus on Iran-backed threats under Director Patel, who assumed the role in early 2025. Officials described the operation as part of a broader effort to dismantle networks planning attacks on American soil and allied nations.
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