A man accused of orchestrating anti-Semitic attacks in the UK through FaceTime reportedly had a meeting with the supreme leader of Iran shortly before his demise. According to US court documents, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi allegedly utilized Apple’s FaceTime application to coordinate fire-bombings against Jewish establishments in London and retaliatory assaults against Western targets.
The indictment obtained by the Sunday Times states that Saadi had a close relationship with Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. It is alleged that Saadi met with Khamenei in Iran just three days before Khamenei’s death during the military conflict initiated by the US in February.
Saadi is accused by the US of planning at least 18 attacks across the UK and Europe, with the Department of Justice claiming that he also attempted attacks in the US, including targeting a synagogue in New York. Following an alleged effort to recruit an individual he believed was associated with a Mexican drug cartel but was actually an undercover FBI agent, Saadi was apprehended in Turkey on May 1 and later transferred to New York.
The indictment against Saadi includes eight charges, accusing him of enlisting criminals to execute attacks for Iran in exchange for cryptocurrency. Saadi reportedly waived his right to legal representation after his arrest and confessed to having high-level contacts to the FBI. He claimed a close bond with the late IRGC leader Qasem Soleimani and requested to be treated as a prisoner of war.
The 35-page indictment alleges that Saadi oversaw operations from a bunker in Iraq, orchestrating attacks believed to be part of a psychological warfare campaign by pro-Iranian proxies. Prosecutors claim that Saadi engaged in real-time FaceTime calls with attackers during European terrorist acts, filmed the attacks, disseminated propaganda videos, and discussed the need for psychological warfare with a member of Kata’ib Hezbollah.
Moreover, the US indictment accuses Saadi of instructing an associate to post stabbing footage on HAYI’s social media channels and making threats of a shooting at a restaurant. HAYI, purportedly a front for Kata’ib Hezbollah, claimed responsibility for various attacks in the UK, including the stabbing of two men in Golders Green.
The UK Government elevated the terror threat level from “substantial” to “severe” following the Golders Green stabbing, citing a broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat. The decision was not solely influenced by the Golders Green incident but also by increased state-linked physical threats, particularly against the Jewish community.
The Home Office has confirmed the escalating threat level in the UK and the growing encouragement of violence by state-linked entities. The Mirror has reached out to the Home Office for further comments.
