An Iranian militia chief accused of orchestrating antisemitic attacks in Britain is alleged to have continued plotting further terrorism from a US prison, using coded language in telephone calls and directing more than $1 million in transfers.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, is accused by US authorities of coordinating at least 18 attacks across Europe and North America since February. He allegedly masterminded the firebombing of a synagogue in London and the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green.
Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian and Iraqi national, was arrested in Turkey before being transferred to the United States. He faces eight terrorism-related charges over his alleged role as an operative of the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The FBI alleges that he has tried to recruit further proxies while in detention and approved propaganda videos intended to encourage other militants. Prosecutors have also accused him of conspiring to provide material support to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, known as Hayi, another Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militant group.
All three organisations have been designated foreign terrorist organisations by the US Government. Authorities allege that Hayi was created to advance the terrorist objectives of Kataib Hezbollah and the IRGC.
Alleged coded calls from prison
Investigators claim Al-Saadi used calls with relatives to communicate with Iranian proxy groups. During a FaceTime conversation with a woman believed to be his mother, he was heard saying: “we shall not care whether we fall upon death or death falls upon us as long as we are on the path of truth.”
The same words later appeared on social media accounts known for sharing IRGC propaganda and were viewed more than 96,000 times, according to the allegations.
In another call with his family in July, Al-Saadi allegedly asked about a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah and instructed relatives to transfer more than $1 million to unidentified people.
The FBI is also said to have ended one conversation after references were made to a gun and Al-Saadi was heard saying: “give him money so we can do it”. The US Department of Justice has expressed concern that he may have been using the calls to plan further attacks in Europe or North America.
Al-Saadi is expected to stand trial next summer. He has complained about what he describes as his “illegal capture”, near-solitary confinement, restricted family contact, poor halal food and a lack of Arabic reading material.
His lawyers, from Federal Defenders of New York, said: “By keeping Mr al-Saadi in extreme solitary confinement and aggressively curtailing his access to information, the government is violating his rights under the constitution and the third Geneva Convention. We will continue to vigorously challenge these inhumane conditions.”
Defence lawyers also maintain that the reference to a gun was a joke about Al-Saadi’s brother-in-law being forced into a shotgun wedding. They argue that he should be treated as a prisoner of war rather than a criminal detainee.
Claims over attacks on Jewish targets
US authorities allege that Al-Saadi was captured after communicating with an FBI informant whom he believed to be a fellow jihadist. He allegedly supplied photographs and maps of Jewish centres in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona.
The informant introduced him to an undercover officer posing as a Mexican cartel member and hired gun. Al-Saadi allegedly offered $100,000 for an attack on a synagogue and said it should be filmed.
He is also accused of overseeing plans to kill Jewish people at synagogues in the United States. The FBI says he described himself to agents as a “leader of the resistance”, including the IRGC and its proxies.
FBI Director Kash Patel described Al-Saadi as a “high-value target responsible for mass global terrorism” and said his arrest followed “a righteous mission executed brilliantly” by agents and law-enforcement partners.
Al-Saadi’s lawyers claim he is being persecuted because of his association with former IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by the US in a drone strike in Baghdad on the orders of President Trump.
Al-Saadi had posted a photograph with Soleimani and previously promised to avenge his death. In 2021, he wrote: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. And coming to Washington and Florida.”
Hayi has claimed responsibility for attacks across the West, including arson at an Israeli restaurant in Munich and a synagogue in Skopje, Macedonia. In Britain, a drone bearing the group’s logo was flown towards the Israeli embassy in London.
Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, north-west London, was firebombed in April. The Metropolitan Police arrested a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man in connection with the attack, while counter-terrorism officers investigated whether Iranian proxies were involved.
Hayi released footage purporting to show a man approaching the synagogue with what appeared to be a petrol bomb before throwing it at the building. The group also claimed responsibility for an attack in Amsterdam that caused a fire and significant damage, but no injuries.
In Paris, investigators found a homemade device made from a petrol-filled container attached to a powerful firework. Forensic experts said it contained 650g of explosives and could have caused a large fireball and started a significant blaze.
