The New York Times reports that US authorities have arrested Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior commander in the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades terrorist organization, and filed terrorism charges against him over an alleged international attack network targeting the US, Canada, and Europe.
According to the indictment, al-Saadi allegedly planned at least 18 terror attacks since late February as retaliation for US and Israeli strikes against Iran. Prosecutors claim he specifically sought to murder American and Jewish civilians in Los Angeles and New York, including plans for an attack against a synagogue in New York City.
According to the reports, he is said to be a relative of former IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was eliminated by the US during President Trump’s previous term in office.
The indictment also states that al-Saadi personally knew Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran’s Quds Force who was eliminated in a US strike in January 2020.