Iraqi accused of multiple terror attacks in US and Europe arrested and charged

Other attacks in which the department alleges al-Saadi was involved include an arson attack on a synagogue in Skopje, north Macedonia, in April, as well as the stabbing of two Jewish men – including a dual US-British citizen – in London, England. The attacks prompted UK prime minister Keir Starmer to describe a “crisis of antisemitism”.

Multiple claims of responsibility were made for the attacks in the name of a previously unknown group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI).

Analysts and security officials said at the time that although there was no direct proof of Iran’s involvement, multiple factors strongly suggested the attacks were part of a campaign of hybrid warfare launched by Tehran to destabilise US allies and warn them of a potential cost of greater involvement in the conflict – while also harming Jewish communities seen as supportive of Israel.

The justice department’s criminal complaint says HAYI is a front designed to carry out and further the terrorist goals of Kata’ib Hezbollah, Hezbollah and the IRGC.

On or about 7 March 2026, it says, al-Saadi posted a message on a Snapchat account, titled “Shadow soldiers”, which “was intended to activate terrorist cells around the world to engage in attacks in support of the IRGC and its proxies” after the US and Israel began waging war in Iran in late February.

The complaint cites multiple conversations between al-Saadi and an FBI source – and accuses him of involvement in an abortive attack on a branch of Bank of America in Paris. The operation, which involved petty criminals recruited from underworld circles in the French capital commissioned by an unidentified gang boss, was explicitly linked to Iran by senior French officials.

The justice department also alleged that al-Saadi acted on behalf of Kata’ib Hezbollah and the IRGC in an attempt to carry out terrorist attacks in the US, including by targeting Jewish institutions in New York. On 3 April, he allegedly communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer – identified in the complaint as UC-1 – whom he believed could carry out the attacks.

“That day, Al-Saadi texted UC-1 photographs and maps showing the exact location of a prominent Jewish synagogue located in New York … as well as two additional US-based Jewish institutions in Los Angeles, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectively, and directed UC-1 to carry out terrorist attacks against those targets,” the justice department alleged.

“Al-Saadi also spoke on the phone with UC-1, and discussed with UC-1, with respect to the New York Synagogue, whether UC-1 would use an improvised explosive device or ‘set the place on fire.’”

In a statement on Friday, acting United States attorney general Todd Blanche said: “Thanks to the dedication and vigilance of law enforcement, this alleged terrorist commander is now in US custody.

“These charges show American law enforcement will never let such evil go unchecked and will use all tools to disrupt and dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders.”

Meanwhile, New York police department commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement: “This case puts into stark relief the global threats posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies like Kata’ib Hezbollah – foreign terrorist organizations that have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities across Europe and the United States since the war began.”

Tisch said her agency, in coordination with partners, “disrupted a plot against a Manhattan synagogue”. She added that her agency and the synagogue’s leadership ensured the institution’s safety “when the threat was elevated”.