Plot Against Ivanka Trump Linked to Iranian General’s Death
A federal inmate in Brooklyn is accused of planning to murder Ivanka Trump in response to the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi allegedly vowed to carry out the attack and even obtained a layout of her home in Florida, as reported by the New York Post. Entifad Kambal, a former deputy attaché at the Iraqi embassy, confirmed this plan along with another source. Al-Saadi reportedly discussed his intentions publicly after the attack in 2020.
“After Qasem was taken out, he kept saying, ‘We need to kill Ivanka and burn down Trump’s house, just like President Trump burned down our house,’” Kambal told the New York Post. The outlet additionally verified an X post from al-Saadi that included a map of Ivanka and Jared Kushner’s neighborhood, accompanied by a threat in Arabic stating that neither the palace nor Secret Service protection would help them.
Al-Saadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi and senior member of the militant group Kataib Hezbollah, faces six terrorism charges linked to about 20 conspiracies in the U.S. and Europe. Turkish authorities arrested him on May 15 before transferring him to U.S. officials. Judge Sarah Netburn has ordered his detention pending trial in Manhattan federal court.
According to federal prosecutors, al-Saadi is also linked to a conspiracy targeting Jewish sites across the U.S. It was reported that he planned to attack synagogues in New York City and community centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, agreeing to pay an undercover informant $10,000 for the execution of these plans. Philip Smith, a researcher monitoring Shi’ite militant groups, described this arrest as “incredibly significant,” noting al-Saadi’s role in running the Kataib Hezbollah front group active in Europe.
The path that led al-Saadi to align with Iran reportedly began with Soleimani himself. After the death of his father, an Iranian brigadier general, in 2006, he grew up in Baghdad and later went to Tehran for training with the Revolutionary Guards. There, he developed a close relationship with the commander of the Quds Force, whom Kambal referred to as a father figure. Kambal also mentioned that al-Saadi’s travels among terrorist groups were facilitated by a travel agency for religious pilgrimages, alongside an Iraqi military passport that helped him evade airport checks.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that targeting Americans within the U.S. will lead to federal charges. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the efforts of FBI agents and partner agencies that contributed to al-Saadi’s capture.
Al-Saadi is currently in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
