Man with ties to terror group charged after allegedly planning NYC synagogue attack

Mohammad al-Saadi appeared in federal court in lower Manhattan on Friday, May 15, 2026, to face terrorism charges alleging he attempted to hire an individual to carry out a bombing at a New York City synagogue.

Prosecutors have charged al-Saadi with six counts in total. These include four charges related to providing material support for terrorism and two charges specifically connected to the plot to bomb the Manhattan synagogue.

Al-Saadi was arrested by Turkish authorities during the week of May 11, 2026, and was subsequently transferred to U.S. Custody. He arrived at Stewart Airport in New York at approximately 11 p.m. On Thursday, May 14, 2026.

During his initial appearance on May 15, al-Saadi was escorted into the courtroom by U.S. Marshals. He was dressed in grey pants, a black T-shirt, and black sneakers. While he was unhandcuffed upon taking his seat at the defense table, his ankles remained handcuffed throughout the proceedings.

Observers noted that al-Saadi appeared relaxed, leaning back in his chair and whispering to his attorney, a public defender. He smiled frequently during the appearance, including at several federal law enforcement personnel seated in the front rows of the courtroom.

Al-Saadi’s attorney argued that his client should be viewed as a political prisoner and treated as a prisoner of war. The attorney further claimed that al-Saadi is being held in solitary confinement, describing the conditions as emotionally distressing and inappropriate and noting that the defendant has been unable to communicate with his family.

The presiding judge responded to these claims by stating that al-Saadi was likely being held separately to ensure his own safety or the safety of other inmates, given the nature of the terrorism charges.

Investigators allege that al-Saadi maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Iran. Evidence provided by investigators includes photographs of al-Saadi alongside General Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian official killed in a 2020 U.S. Strike. Prosecutors claim al-Saadi has vowed revenge against the United States since Soleimani’s death.

According to the NYPD, al-Saadi attempted to hire someone online earlier in 2026 to place a bomb at a synagogue in Manhattan. The plot was disrupted when al-Saadi unknowingly contacted an undercover agent, an interaction that ultimately led to his capture overseas.

The alleged plot followed the outbreak of a war between Iran and the combined forces of the United States and Israel, which began more than two months prior to the synagogue plot. The FBI stated that al-Saadi helped activate terror cells across Europe to conduct various attacks in the wake of the conflict.

Investigators further allege that al-Saadi provided support to the Iraq-based terror group Kata’ib Hizballah to facilitate approximately 20 terror attacks across Europe. These attacks targeted American citizens and institutions.

The series of attacks linked to these efforts included:

• The use of explosives against a synagogue in Belgium in March 2026.
• The detonation of devices at a Bank of New York Mellon branch in Amsterdam.
• A targeted attack on a Bank of America branch in Paris.
• A stabbing attack in London on April 29, 2026, which critically wounded two people, including one American citizen.

Prosecutors stated that al-Saadi has been a member of the Iran-backed terror group since at least 2017. He allegedly managed plots from within Iraq during the military conflict with Iran and boasted of his desire to target President Donald Trump.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the disruption of the Manhattan plot in a statement to NBC News.

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. The NYPD’s work in this case, from officers assigned to the JTTF, to intelligence analysis provided through our international liaison program, helped protect the streets of our city. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch

Commissioner Tisch added that the case highlights the global threats posed by the Iranian regime and proxies such as Kata’ib Hizballah, noting that these foreign terrorist organizations have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities in the U.S. And Europe since the start of the war.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed gratitude toward the NYPD and federal partners for disrupting the plot involving a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah, describing the organization as a federally-designated terrorist organization that targeted Jewish communities across the country.

The Anti-Defamation League stated that the charges underscore a decades-long pattern by the Iranian regime of promoting violence against Jewish communities globally through its network of terror proxies, adding that the Jewish community continues to face threats from multiple fronts.

Al-Saadi is currently being held in a federal jail cell in Brooklyn.