Iraqi Militia Commander Charged Over New York Synagogue Plot

On May 15, 2026 Manhattan prosecutors indicted Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a Kataib Hezbollah commander, for conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and to bomb a place. The complaint says al-Saadi directed 18 attacks on Americans and Jews in Europe and Canada and plotted attacks on a Manhattan synagogue, a Los Angeles Jewish center and a Scottsdale venue, offering $10,000 for the New York attack. He was detained in Turkey, transferred to U.S. custody, and ordered held without bail.

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Kataib Hezbollah, formed after the 2003 U.S. invasion, operates within Iraq’s PMF under Iran’s IRGC and Quds Force. Designated a terrorist organization in 2009, it has attacked U.S. bases. Prosecutors cite al-Saadi’s ties to Qasem Soleimani and Esmail Qaani, and that the plot used Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI).

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The NYPD said its officers, federal partners, disrupted Manhattan synagogue plot and secured site with synagogue leadership. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said case underscores threat from Iranian-backed militias targeting Jewish communities.

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Al-Saadi’s lawyer, Andrew J. Dalack, called his client a prisoner and prisoner of war, arguing Turkish arrest left chance to contest legality and that charges are retaliation for alleged ties to Qasem Soleimani.

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The New York Times reports “at least 20” attacks in Europe and Canada; CNN cites “at least 18.” Al-Saadi’s transfer from Turkey remains undisclosed.

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Al-Saadi is slated for a preliminary hearing in the Southern District of New York later this month. Federal investigators continue probing the HAYI network, and U.S. officials say monitoring of Iranian-backed militias abroad will remain a priority.

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• “Working with our law enforcement partners, we disrupted a plan to attack a Manhattan synagogue, and in partnership with the synagogue’s leadership, ensured its security when the threat was elevated,” — Jessica Tisch, NYPD Commissioner

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• “This case puts into stark relief the global threats posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies like Kata’ib Hizballah — Foreign Terrorist Organizations that have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities across Europe and the United States since the war began,” — Jessica Tisch, NYPD Commissioner

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• “Our position states that he’s a political prisoner and a prisoner of war,” — Andrew J. Dalack, Attorney for al-Saadi

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• “My understanding at this point is that he was arrested in Turkey by Turkish authorities, likely at the behest of US authorities, and was handed over to US authorities without an opportunity to contest the legality of his detention or transport to the United States,” — Andrew J. Dalack, Attorney for al-Saadi

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