An Iraqi man accused of links to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the armed group Kataib Hezbollah allegedly planned to target Ivanka Trump, according to a report published by New York Post citing informed sources.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Mohammed Baqir Saad Dawood al-Saadi, was arrested in Turkey on May 15 and later extradited to the United States, according to the US Department of Justice.
US authorities accused al-Saadi of involvement in around 18 planned or executed attacks targeting American and Jewish interests in Europe and North America.
According to the report, investigators found maps and images linked to the Florida residence of Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, including threatening messages allegedly posted online in Arabic warning that “revenge is only a matter of time.”
Former Iraqi military diplomat Intifadh Qanbar told the newspaper that the suspect spoke openly about targeting Ivanka Trump after the killing of Qasem Soleimani in a US strike in 2020.
The US Justice Department said the suspect was also linked to attacks including a firebombing attempt against a banking building in Amsterdam, a stabbing attack against Jewish citizens in London and a shooting incident targeting the US consulate in Toronto.
Kataib Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Iraqi armed faction closely aligned with the IRGC’s Quds Force and has repeatedly been accused by Washington of targeting US personnel and interests in the region.
Tensions between the United States and Iran sharply increased after the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, prompting repeated threats of retaliation from Iran-aligned armed groups across the Middle East.