The United States has taken into custody an Iraqi national and high-ranking member of the Kataib Hezbollah militant group named Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi. Authorities charged him with supplying material support to Iranian-backed terrorist entities and with directing strikes aimed at American citizens and facilities.

On May 15 the Justice Department disclosed the detention of Al-Saadi, describing him as a senior figure in Kataib Hezbollah. Officials stated that in recent months he allegedly instructed others to strike American and Israeli targets, including calls to kill Americans and Jews in order to advance the objectives of his organization and the IRGC.

This development forms part of ongoing American efforts to confront Iranian-supported militias operating in Iraq. The Justice Department released an image showing Al-Saadi alongside the late IRGC Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a 2020 American drone operation in Iraq that also eliminated Kataib Hezbollah commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Over the past several months Washington has issued multiple ten-million-dollar rewards for information leading to other Iraqi militia commanders.

The charges against Al-Saadi underscore the reach of American law enforcement in pursuing such individuals. Prosecutors listed six terrorism-related counts tied to his role with Kataib Hezbollah and the IRGC, including participation in nearly twenty attacks or attempted attacks across Europe and the United States. Al-Saadi is thirty-two years old.

He was brought to the United States from an overseas location, though officials did not disclose the precise site of his arrest.

Al-Saadi appeared before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court and was ordered held pending trial, according to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

FBI Completes Overseas Custody Transfer

The FBI executed a foreign transfer of custody to bring Al-Saadi to American soil. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the operation as another success in the current administration's campaign against global terrorism.

Authorities accuse him of orchestrating a series of bombings and arson incidents throughout Europe. The complaint notes that Al-Saadi discussed potential strikes in New York, California, and Arizona, posing a direct risk to national security. Officials pledged continued cooperation with international partners to prosecute such cases in US courts.

FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. highlighted that within three months Al-Saadi allegedly oversaw eighteen attacks in Europe targeting American citizens and interests while also plotting similar actions inside the United States.

Continued Risks from Iran-Backed Groups in Iraq

The case highlights the persistent danger posed by Kataib Hezbollah and similar Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq amid the new government led by Prime Minister Ali al Zaydi, who faces American pressure to curb militia activities.

The Justice Department explained that Iran and the IRGC rely on proxy forces such as Kataib Hezbollah, which receive training, funding, weapons, and intelligence from the IRGC Quds Force.

Evidence suggests Al-Saadi may be connected to recent threats against Jewish and Israeli targets during the latest Iran-related tensions.

In February 2026, for instance, Al-Saadi posted a social media message in Arabic urging Shiites in Iraq to kill supporters of America and Israel without exception, targeting both civilian and military sites.

Prosecutors allege that Al-Saadi and his associates planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least eighteen attacks in Europe plus two in Canada under the banner of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a Kataib Hezbollah affiliate.

Additional incidents occurred in March and April 2026, including videos released by Al-Saadi in which the group claimed credit. One such event involved arson at a synagogue in Skopje, North Macedonia, on April 12, while another on April 29 left two Jewish men, one a dual US-British citizen, stabbed and wounded in London.

Al-Saadi also engaged in threats against Jewish institutions in New York City, contacting an undercover officer on April 3.

He faces multiple charges, several carrying potential sentences of up to twenty years in prison upon conviction.