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Manhattan Charges Ex-Turkish Suspect Over Synagogue Bomb Plot

5/18/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey, extradited to the United States, and charged in Manhattan with six terrorism offenses.
Prosecutors allege he plotted a bombing of a New York City synagogue and attacks on Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale.
He is held without bail in a Brooklyn federal facility and faces life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charges.

History

Historical Context

The July 18 1994 suicide bombing of Buenos Aires’ AMIA center, killing 85 and injuring hundreds, followed a March 1992 Israeli embassy attack that killed 29 and was linked to Hezbollah and Iran. That pattern resurfaced in 2024 when Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi was accused of plotting attacks on U.S. synagogues, prompting American officials to tighten extradition treaties and expand counter-terrorism laws.

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Story summary

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey, extradited to the United States, and charged in Manhattan with six terrorism offenses.
Prosecutors allege he plotted a bombing of a New York City synagogue and attacks on Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale.
He is held without bail in a Brooklyn federal facility and faces life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charges.

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