Dual Iraqi-Iranian citizen charged with plotting nearly 20 terror attacks across U.S., Europe

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Adual Iraqi-Iranian citizen was indicted Thursday on terrorism-related charges in what the Justice Department alleged was a lengthy spree plotting nearly 20 attacks on U.S. and European soil.

The eight-count indictment said Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi worked as an operative of Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), two U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations.

“As alleged in this indictment, Al-Saadi has been directly involved in terrorist operations and military decisions to attack U.S. and Israeli interests across the world and conspired with others to plan deadly attacks on American soil,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “Now that he has been removed from his perch as an alleged commander of Kata’ib Hizballah with close ties to the Iranian regime and its proxies around the world, we look forward to vigorously prosecuting him under American law in an American courtroom.”

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in Manhattan said Al-Saadi worked at least since 2017 on behalf of organizations that “have a stated goal of destroying our society and our collective commitment to freedom, security, and a better world for our children. “

“The IRGC’s claims are not just rhetoric, they are taking action around the world to undermine America and American values.  All Americans should recognize that we have sworn enemies and when your enemies tell you something, and when they act, you should know that they mean it,” he added.

The indictment accuses Al-Saadi of working with senior leaders of both terrorist organizations to kill U.S. citizens and U.S. political and military leaders as retribution for strikes on Iranian backed figures and also helping to plot 18 attacks across Europe.