Prosecutors have linked an Iraqi national charged in the U.S. with terrorism offenses to a shooting outside the U.S. consulate in downtown Toronto in March.
US prosecutors allege that Muhammad Baqir Saad Daoud al-Saadi and others were behind the Toronto attack, as well as a second attack targeting a synagogue in Canada, while they also coordinated nearly 20 attacks across Europe linked to an Iranian-backed militant network.
The incident, which Canadian authorities considered a national security issue, sparked extensive investigations by the RCMP.
A statement issued by the US Department of Justice reveals that Al-Saadi appeared in a New York courtroom on Friday after being charged with six terrorism-related crimes linked to his alleged role as a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
According to a newly unsealed US criminal complaint, prosecutors allege that Al-Saadi and others “planned, coordinated and claimed responsibility” for at least 18 terrorist attacks across Europe, along with “two additional attacks in Canada.”
The complaint specifically refers to a shooting that occurred on March 10, 2026, at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, where police said two suspects exited a white Honda CR-V, fired into the building and fled the scene.
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Toronto police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said shell casings and damage were found at the downtown building, though no injuries were reported.
In the US file, FBI investigators claim that Al-Saadi discussed the Canadian attacks during recorded calls with a confidential source.
According to the complaint, Al-Saadi asserted that “our people” were behind the attacks in Canada targeting “the consulate and the Knesset,” which investigators say point to the shooting at the Toronto consulate and the attack on a synagogue.
The dossier also alleges that Al-Saadi told the source that he “runs multiple teams” and requested assistance in carrying out additional attacks in Canada and the United States.
The complaint alleges that Al-Saadi later explained how agents carrying out attacks in North America could be paid.
“In Europe, we have our men; even in America, for example, in Canada we have our men,” Al-Saadi allegedly said during a recorded April 1 call cited in the file.
The complaint details attacks involving explosives, arson, and stabbings in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, including attacks targeting synagogues, Jewish schools, embassies, and financial institutions.
Outside court on Friday, defense lawyer Andrew Dallek said his client was being subjected to a “political trial.”
“We wanted to tell the court that it is very important for him that the court understands that he is essentially being subjected to a political trial and that he is a prisoner of war and should be treated as such,” Dalek told reporters.
Dalek also questioned the circumstances surrounding Al-Saadi’s arrest in Turkey and transfer to U.S. custody, saying it appeared his client had been brought to the United States “without any type of extradition process.”
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