The Iran-backed terror network targeting Jews abroad has now landed in a Manhattan federal courtroom.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national and alleged commander in Kata’ib Hizballah, has been hit with an eight-count U.S. indictment accusing him of helping drive nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States. Federal prosecutors say he operated on behalf of both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

The case is not just about one suspect. It is about Iran’s proxy system moving from the Middle East into Western cities, using cutouts, propaganda channels, criminal recruits and terror fronts to threaten Jews, Israelis, Americans and allied interests far from the battlefield.

According to the Justice Department, Al-Saadi helped plan and direct roughly 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI. Prosecutors say HAYI was not a real independent group, but a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and other Iran-backed terrorist organizations, created to blur responsibility while spreading fear.

Prosecutors say Al-Saadi tried to arrange attacks inside the United States, including against a synagogue in New York. Earlier court filings said he sent an undercover law enforcement officer photos and maps of a prominent New York synagogue, plus two additional Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, and discussed whether the attack should use an explosive device or fire.

Federal authorities say the plot was still active when he was stopped. Prosecutors say Al-Saadi later asked a contact in the U.S. if he knew someone who could carry out an attack by “burning” or “killing.” The next day, authorities say, Al-Saadi was detained while traveling abroad. He was then transferred into FBI custody and brought to the Southern District of New York.

The European campaign described by prosecutors was already violent. Court filings link the network to an explosives attack against the Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam, an attempted attack on a Bank of America building in Paris, an arson attack on a synagogue in Skopje, and the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, including a dual U.S.-British citizen.

The indictment also paints Al-Saadi as far more than a propagandist. Prosecutors say his phone contained videos and photos of meetings with senior figures from the IRGC, Kata’ib Hizballah and the Houthis, as well as images showing him with weapons and evidence of his role as a commander. According to the Justice Department, Al-Saadi told U.S. law enforcement he was a leader in the so-called “resistance,” responsible for media, psychological warfare, strategy and military intelligence.

That “psychological warfare” was central to the alleged campaign. Prosecutors say Al-Saadi helped create and spread propaganda videos of attacks, participated in live FaceTime calls with attackers as some attacks were carried out, and treated the footage itself as part of the operation. In one alleged case involving an attack on a London synagogue, authorities say he was on a video call while instructions were given to light and throw an incendiary device.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Al-Saadi “conspired with others to plan deadly attacks on American soil.” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the case shows that Iranian-backed terrorist organizations are not just talking about striking America and its allies. They are acting.

Al-Saadi faces charges including conspiracy to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, providing material support for terrorism, attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to bomb a public place, attempted destruction of property by fire or explosive, and financing terrorism. Some counts carry a potential life sentence.