US alleges detained Iranian figure directed militant activity through coded calls
US authorities allege that Iranian militia figure Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi has continued directing militant activity from US detention, using coded phone calls and arranging more than $1 million in transfers. The claims matter because investigators fear he could be organising further attacks in Europe or North America while awaiting trial.
Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen, faces eight terrorism-related charges linked to alleged work with Kataib Hezbollah, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and another Iran-backed group. He is accused of involvement in at least 18 attacks since February, including a London synagogue firebombing and attacks on Jewish men in Golders Green; he denies the allegations, and his lawyers say a reference to a gun was a joke. His defence is also challenging his near-solitary confinement, while prosecutors say restrictions are needed to prevent further militant activity.
- US authorities allege al-Saadi plotted attacks from detention.
- Investigators cite coded calls and over $1 million in transfers.
- His lawyers dispute the allegations and challenge his detention conditions.
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Kataib Hezbollah is an armed group based in Iraq and backed by Iran, whose Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a branch of Iran’s armed forces. Iran-backed groups operate across the region, and Western governments have accused some of them of attacks on people and buildings abroad.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi is an Iranian-Iraqi citizen accused of links to these groups. He faces terrorism-related charges over alleged attacks in several countries; he denies the allegations and is awaiting trial.
The case raises questions about how authorities manage security risks when a person accused of organising violence is in custody. It also involves a dispute over the conditions of his detention and the limits on his contact with others.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Iranian militia chief ‘plotting terror attacks from behind bars using coded language in prison calls and directing $1million transfers to proxies’”.