Information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat from factional sources indicates that al-Saadi had close ties to the Quds Force intelligence body. It also suggests he had close ties to a member of that Iranian body who was killed during the 11-day war between the United States and Iran, although some sources said he \u201cliked to claim such ties.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A review of his photo archive on X, where al-Saadi has been active since 2014, shows that he often appeared alongside Revolutionary Guards commanders. In one video clip, he appeared to exchange words and smiles with the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
According to the factional sources, al-Saadi \u201cstepped up his visits to Lebanon after the killing of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in late September 2024, and was also active in moving between Lebanon and Syria during Bashar al-Assad\u2019s rule.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Sources said al-Saadi\u2019s possession of a \u201cservice passport,\u201d usually granted to senior military figures and official personnel, \u201cgave him flexibility to move and travel to other countries.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
From this perspective, the sources explained his latest trip to T\u00fcrkiye, where he was reportedly caught and arrested. It was also rumored that he was preparing to travel to a European country.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Al-Saadi appeared in more than one circulated photograph with former Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and other figures linked to armed factions and the Revolutionary Guards. Some sources said he preferred to add \u201cSoleimani\u201d to his name.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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How was al-Saadi arrested?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n According to most Western sources that reported al-Saadi\u2019s arrest in T\u00fcrkiye and transfer to the United States, he is accused of coordinating and planning at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe targeting Americans and Jews, all in the name of ending the war in Iran.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n After his arrest, al-Saadi appeared in a video message to his mother on a mobile phone screen, urging her to \u201cbe patient\u201d and saying they \u201cwill not be broken.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Western sources say he \u201cdirected and urged\u201d others to attack US and Israeli interests in retaliation for the war Washington and Tel Aviv are waging against Tehran.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Al-Saadi is also accused of coordinating two additional attacks in Canada, directing others, and attempting to coordinate terrorist attacks inside the United States, including against a synagogue in New York City, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The US lists Kataib Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization and says al-Saadi has been involved with the group since 2017. Some sources say his father is linked to the Badr Organization, led by Hadi al-Amiri.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Last month, Washington offered a $10 million reward for information on Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n CNN had reported a link between Kataib Hezbollah and the group that claimed responsibility for a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites across Europe, including synagogues, schools and ambulances.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Al-Saadi faces several charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to provide material support for terrorist acts, and conspiracy to bomb a public place. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n He appeared in court on Friday in the Southern District of New York, where a judge ordered him detained without bail. He did not enter a plea during the hearing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The potential repercussions of al-Saadi\u2019s arrest for Kataib Hezbollah remain unclear, as does the nature of the information US agencies may obtain from him and whether it could expose the armed group, which is now at the center of US scrutiny.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n According to al-Saadi\u2019s defense lawyer, Andrew Dalack, who spoke to Western media, he was arrested in T\u00fcrkiye by Turkish authorities, most likely at Washington\u2019s request, and handed over to US authorities without being given a chance to challenge the legality of his detention or his transfer to the United States.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Al-Saadi faces numerous allegations and accusations, including an attempt to arrange the bombing of a prominent synagogue in New York City, as well as targeting two other sites in the United States, Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Other allegations indicate that al-Saadi agreed to pay $10,000 to carry out the attack, but insisted that it be filmed. Investigators say he insisted the attack be carried out on April 6, and when it did not happen, he sent a text message to the undercover agent the following morning asking why.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Al-Saadi\u2019s record on X<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Al-Saadi appears to have been active on X for years, where he often sharply criticized the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, which filed a \u201cdefamation\u201d lawsuit against him in 2024.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In July 2020, al-Saadi posted on his account a picture of the US Capitol destroyed, alongside images of slain commanders such as Soleimani, with the phrase: \u201cOur revenge for the martyred commanders continues. No negotiations with the occupier.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n He also uses the platform to openly declare support for Iran and the \u201cAxis of Resistance,\u201d and to attack their opponents.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In 2023, al-Saadi posted a screenshot from a maps application of Indian Creek Island in the US state of Florida, a small fortified residential island in Miami-Dade County known in the media as the billionaires\u2019 bunker, where a number of businesspeople, celebrities and politicians live. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Prominent residents include Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump.<\/p><\/p>\n