Al-Saadi Pleads Not Guilty to 18 Europe Terror Attacks, Faces Life in U.S. Case
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 7
Al-Saadi Pleads Not Guilty to 18 Europe Terror Attacks, Faces Life in U.S. Case
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 7
Summary
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan to terrorism charges tied to 18 attacks on Jewish targets in Europe and the UK between early March and late April.
U.S. investigators say he directed the campaign from Baghdad under the HAYI name, using Telegram, Snapchat and video calls to coordinate bombings, arson and propaganda claims within minutes of attacks.
The violence began 52 hours after coded messages appeared online following the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran; targets included synagogues, a Jewish school and four ambulances in north London, though no one was killed.
Turkish authorities detained al-Saadi in Istanbul hours after he allegedly discussed further attacks, and U.S. officials say he had also sought help targeting Jewish communities in America and discussed Ivanka Trump.
The case points to a broader Iran-linked proxy model that allegedly used social media and low-level recruits—some minors paid as little as €300—to destabilize Jewish communities while preserving Tehran's deniability.
Is Iran's use of 'disposable agents' a sign of weakness or the future of asymmetric warfare?
With the mastermind arrested, are his 'Shadow Soldiers' across the West now dormant or awaiting new orders?
2026 Iranian-Backed Terror Attacks in Europe and the US: The Al-Saadi Case, HAYI’s Digital Front, and Community Resilience
Overview
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national and senior commander of Kata’ib Hizballah, was arrested and charged in the United States for his alleged role as an operative for both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He faces six terrorism-related charges, accused of directing nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the U.S., including 18 attacks within three months that targeted U.S. citizens and interests. Many of these incidents focused on Jewish communities, and a planned attack on a Manhattan synagogue was notably disrupted by authorities.