Federal prosecutors have charged an alleged Iran-linked operative accused of plotting to assassinate Ivanka Trump in what investigators describe as a revenge campaign tied to the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, according to court filings and reports citing U.S. law enforcement officials.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, was arrested in Turkey earlier this month before being extradited to the United States, where he now faces terrorism-related charges connected to alleged plots spanning Europe and North America.
Authorities allege Al-Saadi targeted members of the Trump family in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Soleimani near Baghdad airport in January 2020.
According to court documents cited in multiple reports, investigators believe Al-Saadi specifically focused on Ivanka Trump's Florida residence, where she lives with husband Jared Kushner.
Federal authorities claim the suspect made repeated statements expressing a desire for revenge against the Trump family over Soleimani's death.
Former Iraqi military attaché Entifadh Qanbar told the New York Post that Al-Saadi openly discussed targeting Ivanka Trump and viewed Soleimani as a father figure after losing his own father, Iranian brigadier general Ahmad Kazemi, in 2006.
Investigators also allege Al-Saadi maintained an active social media presence while operating within extremist networks linked to Iran-backed militant groups.
According to prosecutors, one online post included an image of the exclusive Florida neighborhood where Ivanka Trump and Kushner own a luxury property reportedly valued at roughly $24 million.
The Arabic-language message allegedly warned Americans that neither their "palaces nor the Secret Service" would protect them and claimed surveillance operations were already underway.
U.S. officials allege Al-Saadi maintained ties to both Kata'ib Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, organizations long scrutinized by American intelligence agencies over regional militant operations.
The Justice Department linked Al-Saadi to a broader network of alleged attacks and plots across several countries.
Among the allegations outlined by prosecutors:
- Involvement in the firebombing of the Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam
- A stabbing attack involving two Jewish victims in London
- A shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto
- Planned attacks targeting Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands
- Alleged coordination of an arson plot against a synagogue in Rotterdam
Authorities said Al-Saadi traveled extensively over several years, allegedly using a religious-tour travel agency as cover to move internationally and communicate with extremist contacts abroad.
Court filings reportedly include photographs showing Al-Saadi alongside Soleimani at what investigators described as a military facility reviewing maps and operational materials.
Other images cited in the investigation allegedly showed the suspect posing near major international landmarks including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
According to investigators, Al-Saadi was detained while reportedly attempting to travel toward Russia. He is currently being held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn pending further legal proceedings.
Neither the White House nor attorneys representing Al-Saadi publicly commented on the allegations following the announcement of the charges.
