Alleged Plot to Assassinate Ivanka Trump Uncovered as US Charges Iraqi Militia Operative With Terror Conspiracy

An alleged assassination plot targeting Ivanka Trump has surfaced amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, with US authorities accusing an Iraqi national linked to an Iran-backed militia of planning attacks against American and Jewish targets.

According to a report by the New York Post, the suspect — identified as 32-year-old Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi — allegedly sought revenge for the January 2020 US drone strike that killed powerful Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad during the first presidency of Donald Trump.

US investigators claim Al-Saadi had ties to the Iran-backed militia Kata’ib Hezbollah and allegedly discussed plans to target members of the Trump family, including Ivanka Trump.

Authorities say the suspected retaliation plot was fuelled by anger over Soleimani’s killing, an event that dramatically escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey on May 15 before being extradited to the United States. He later appeared before a federal court in Manhattan, where US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered him detained pending trial.

Reports said he is currently being held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.

The revelations have emerged at a particularly volatile moment, with tensions in the Middle East continuing to intensify.

The disclosures come amid the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran and growing speculation that the Trump administration is considering another round of strikes targeting Tehran.

Citing Entifadh Qanbar, a former Iraqi military official who once served at the Iraqi Embassy in Washington, the New York Post reported that Al-Saadi frequently spoke about wanting to kill Ivanka Trump after Soleimani’s death.

According to Qanbar, the suspect allegedly told associates that targeting Ivanka would symbolically “burn down the house of Trump” in retaliation for what he viewed as the destruction caused by the US strike that killed Soleimani.

Qanbar further claimed that Al-Saadi had discussed plans connected to Ivanka Trump’s Florida residence, which she shares with her husband, Jared Kushner.

Another unnamed source reportedly confirmed the existence of the alleged plot independently.

Investigators believe Al-Saadi obtained information related to the layout of the property and posted threatening material online.

According to the report, he shared a map of the surrounding neighbourhood on X along with an Arabic-language message warning that security agencies would not be able to protect American targets indefinitely.

The translated message reportedly read: “Look at this picture and know that neither your palaces nor the Secret Service will protect you. We are currently in the stage of surveillance and analysis… our revenge is a matter of time.”

US prosecutors allege that, beyond the threats against the Trump family, Al-Saadi was also involved in planning attacks against Jewish institutions and American interests.

Court documents unsealed in Manhattan claim he attempted to organise a coordinated bombing and arson campaign targeting sites in New York City, Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona.

According to the criminal complaint, Al-Saadi unknowingly communicated with an undercover FBI officer while allegedly attempting to arrange the attacks.

Prosecutors said he transferred a cryptocurrency payment of USD 3,000 as an advance for an attack on a Manhattan synagogue.

Court records also included a message allegedly sent by Al-Saadi to the undercover agent, in which he demanded immediate action, writing that he wanted to see “good news tonight.”

Authorities said he was arrested in Turkey shortly afterwards and transferred into FBI custody.

The US Justice Department further alleges that Al-Saadi coordinated or supported at least 18 attacks across Europe and two in Canada since March 2026 while working alongside Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.

Prosecutors also linked him to several violent incidents, including attacks in Amsterdam, London, Belgium and Toronto.

Among the incidents cited were an explosive attack on a Bank of New York Mellon branch in Amsterdam, the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, a shooting at the US consulate in Toronto, and a Molotov cocktail attack in Belgium.

US officials claim these operations were carried out under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which prosecutors describe as a front organisation connected to Kata’ib Hezbollah.

Al-Saadi now faces six criminal charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organisations, conspiracy to bomb public places and destruction of property using fire or explosives.

One of the most serious charges carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the suspect of directing and encouraging attacks against US and Israeli interests while allegedly attempting to orchestrate violence against Americans and Jewish communities both inside and outside the United States.

The New York Post also reported that Al-Saadi was raised in Baghdad by his Iraqi mother before later travelling to Tehran, where he allegedly received specialised training.

Researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who herself was once held hostage by Kata’ib Hezbollah, reportedly told the newspaper that Al-Saadi had close links to Soleimani and later developed ties with Soleimani’s successor, Esmail Qaani.

Investigators claim the suspect operated a travel agency specialising in religious tours, which authorities believe he used as cover for international movement and coordination with militant networks.

At the time of his arrest, officials said Al-Saadi was carrying an Iraqi service passport — a document requiring approval from Iraq’s prime minister — allowing him access to VIP airport facilities and bypassing certain security procedures.

Despite allegedly operating covertly, prosecutors say he maintained an active social media presence, often posting photographs from European cities and sharing images of weapons systems online.

Meanwhile, reports from CBS News suggest the Trump administration is actively discussing potential new military strikes against Iran, although no final decision has yet been announced.

Multiple US media outlets reported that senior military and intelligence officials had cancelled Memorial Day weekend plans amid the growing crisis.

Donald Trump is also expected to remain in Washington instead of attending the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said that although he wished to attend the wedding celebrations, current circumstances involving Iran and broader national security concerns required him to remain at the White House.

The Al-Saadi case is being viewed as part of a wider pattern of alleged Iranian-linked retaliation plots targeting Trump and his associates since the killing of Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

US prosecutors had earlier charged another individual in November 2024 in connection with a separate alleged plot to assassinate Trump during the presidential campaign, also reportedly linked to revenge for Soleimani’s death.

(With inputs from agencies)