'Tehran terrorist' unmasked by US Justice Department over filmed synagogue arson targeting London's Jewish community
An alleged terrorist with close ties to Tehran directed and filmed an arson attack on a London synagogue, US court documents reveal.
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The arson was reportedly part of a string of attacks on Jewish communities in London and other parts of Europe.
Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi is accused of orchestrating almost 20 of the attacks and attempted attacks across the continent.
He pleaded not guilty to eight counts of terror-related offences following an indictment by the US Justice Department in Washington on Monday.
Court documents reveal Al-Saadi, 32, is allegedly a “longtime operative” of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and of Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iran-backed militia.
He is accused of having “furthered the terrorist goals of those groups” for almost 10 years.
Read more: Second man charged over arson attack at former east London synagogue
The indictment adds: "As alleged, in recent months, Al-Saadi has helped plan and direct approximately 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe on behalf of those terrorist organizations.
“Those attacks were carried out in the name of a purportedly new terrorist group with the pseudonym Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which is actually a front of Kata’ib Hizballah and other US designated FTOs (foreign terrorist organisations).”
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyais has previously claimed responsibility for an arson attack in Golders Green, north London.
The attack saw four vehicles belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service set on fire back in March.
However, the 35-page US indictment does not specify whether either of the two attacks Al-Saadi allegedly planned in London happened in Golders Green.
It instead refers to a video made “on or about April 18” when a “terrorist attack” was made against an unnamed London synagogue.
The video allegedly shows Al-Saadi and three or four other men on a FaceTime video call, the indictment says.
It adds: “The video call is projected onto a large screen against the background of the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah logo.
“Al-Saadi is recording the attack through the call.
“In the video, one of the men, in English, instructs the individual on the other end of the call to execute the attack, directing that individual to take a lighter and ‘light one in your hand,’ ‘light it’ and ‘throw the fourth one.’”
A second video refers to a propaganda video claiming Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya used a drone to attack the Israeli Embassy near Kensington High Street, west London. The attack did not actually take place.
The document states: “On or about April 14, Al-Saadi received on an encrypted messaging application videos of two men dressed in hazmat suits, with the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya logo taped to each suit, and a drone that appears to have two vials of white powder attached to it.”
It later adds: “The content of these videos is consistent with the propaganda video that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya posted on Telegram on or about April 16, 2026, in which it claimed that its members had attacked the Israeli Embassy in London using drones that were loaded with dangerous carcinogenic and radioactive materials.”
Al-Saad pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday declaring "I am not a criminal” in a New York court.
"I am not guilty and we are in a war situation," he said through an Arabic interpreter.
"Children are being killed by your rockets," Al-Saadi added, making a gesture towards the judge and prosecutors.
Al-Saadi did not say whether he was referring to a specific incident.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer warned he is “increasingly concerned” about countries using proxies for criminal activity in the UK.
Speaking at the Kenton United Synagogue in Horrow, one of London’s Jewish sites targeted in recent months, he said: “We have to deal with malign state actors, that will require legislation.
“We’re going to bring that legislation forward. It’s really important we do that. It’s very important this particular context because I’m increasingly concerned that a number of countries are using proxies for attacks in this country.”
Counter terror police have also been looking into the possible involvement of Iranian proxies following the series of arson attacks in the capital amid a campaign of “psychological warfare”.