U.S. Arrests Kataib Hezbollah Leader Mohammed Baqir Al-Saadi Over Terror Attacks

The U.S. State Department announced the arrest of Mohammed Baqir al-Saadi, described as a leader in the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah militia, and said the arrest was carried out in coordination with relevant security agencies.

“The United States' arrest of what it describes as a senior figure in the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, Mohammed Baqir al-Saadi, was not so much a security operation as a firm message to the new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, that Iran-linked militias must be neutralized, according to analysts”

Al-Jazeera Net

Washington said al-Saadi faces charges related to supporting armed activities and affiliations that the United States considers a threat to regional stability, and it said U.S. authorities are working to complete legal procedures in preparation for his transfer and interrogation.

Al-Jazeera Net

Shafaq News reported that Washington Federal authorities arrested and charged Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi with coordinating and planning at least 18 terrorist attacks across Europe targeting Americans and Jews, plus two additional attacks in Canada.

Shafaq News also said al-Saadi was ordered held without bail following his court appearance in New York on Friday, and it quoted his attorney, Andrew J. Dalack, saying he had no opportunity to contest the legality of his detention or transfer to the United States.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused 'Mohammad Baqir Saad Dawood Al-Saadi' of planning three deadly attacks against schools and synagogues in the United States, and the FBI described the arrest and transfer as a 'historic achievement of the Trump administration to deliver justice.'

Axios reports that the U.S. Department of Justice contends that Saadi faces six terrorism-related charges related to his activities with Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq and the IRGC, and the charges stem from his activities with the militia and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

خبرگزاری فارس

Asr Iran said the FBI accused ‘Mohammad Baqir Saad Dawood Al-Saadi’ of planning three deadly attacks against schools and Jewish synagogues in the United States, and it said FBI agents escorted Saadi off the plane that brought him to the United States.

Asr Iran also reported that the indictment states Saadi has been “at least since 2017 or around that time” directing the group’s terrorist targets and interactions with figures including [the martyr] Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by the United States in 2020.

Fars News Agency’s International Desk said the U.S. Department of Justice charged Mohammad Baqir Saad Dawood Al-Saadi with six terrorism-related offenses, describing him as an operative of Kata'ib Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran with involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempts to attack across Europe and the United States.

“Shafaq News- Washington Federal authorities have arrested and charged Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, an Iraqi national, with coordinating and planning at least 18 terrorist attacks across Europe targeting Americans and Jews, plus two additional attacks in Canada, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Friday”

شفق نيوز

In a statement, the U.S. State Department praised Donald Trump and said: "President Trump has pledged to find and hold accountable anyone who harms Americans, or intends to harm Americans."

Al-Jazeera Net framed the arrest as a message to the new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, saying Washington announced the arrest a day after Zaidi won the Iraqi parliament's confidence and that the FBI director described al-Saadi as a 'high-value target'.

Al-Jazeera Net also quoted Iraqi political science professor at the University of Baghdad, Iyad al-Anbar, saying the arrest took place 10 days before his announcement and described it as a new message added to accusations that the previous government was tied to armed groups, while Iraqi political analyst Hashem al-Kindi said the matter was viewed as 'the kidnapping of an Iraqi citizen by the Americans, and thus it is the government's responsibility.'