Iraqi suspect in Dutch Jewish site attacks linked by experts to Iranian regime
An Iraqi man accused of coordinating attacks on Jewish targets across Europe, including several incidents in the Netherlands, was likely acting under direction from the Iranian regime, according to terrorism experts interviewed by NOS. The suspect is also linked to U.S. proceedings and is currently in U.S. custody.
The suspect, identified as Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, is accused of orchestrating multiple explosions and an arson attack in the Netherlands. Those alleged attacks include explosions at a Jewish school in Amsterdam and a synagogue in Rotterdam. There was an arson attempt at the American bank in Amsterdam and an attempted arson at the building of the organization Christians for Israel in Nijkerk.
Experts say the pattern reflects a broader strategy involving Iranian-backed proxy groups. “We see more often that this kind of operation is set up when Iran is under pressure,” Bart Wallet, professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Amsterdam, who specializes in Iranian terrorist networks, told NOS. “It fits a pattern in which Iran attacks others through allied terrorist organizations, so-called proxies.”
Wallet believes that al-Saadi coordinated the attacks on behalf of a group called Ashab al-Yamin. He described the group as newly emerged in connection with European operations.
“That group has only appeared around these European attacks; in that sense, it seems like a completely new phenomenon,” Wallet said. “But it mainly appears to be a front for Kataib Hezbollah, a well-known militant organization in Iraq.” Kataib Hezbollah is a sister organization of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed the current detention of al-Saadi in the United States, where he will face prosecution. In its indictment, the department presented supporting evidence of his contacts with Iran.
According to the Justice Department, the suspect also appears in a photograph with the late Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Wallet also said the same suspect is believed to have prepared attacks in North America, suggesting coordination across continents.
“The goal of the actions is to spread fear,” Wallet told NOS. “They want to show what Iran can do. That anyone in any way involved with Israel is guilty.”
Beatrice de Graaf, a professor of history of international relations and a terrorism expert, said Iran uses a broader regional strategy of influence through armed groups.
“You see that Iran is a regional power that has continuously invested in these kinds of proxies,” De Graaf said. “These attacks are therefore also an act of war by Iran directed at countries that they know support America.”
She added, “These actions serve as retaliation and intimidation, aiming to spread Iranian anti-Israel sentiment.” If you want to understand the purpose of these actions, you should not look at this suspect but at Iran’s war strategy.
De Graaf said recent terrorism trends show a shift in scale and organization when state involvement is present. She said, "In recent years, we observed that lone actors often perpetrated terrorism." “But when there is state-sponsored or state-directed terrorism, there are often more attacks, the organizations last longer, and they are therefore also more deadly. The threat of that kind of terrorism is very dangerous.”
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) declined to say whether it was involved in the U.S. investigation into al-Saadi. However, it confirmed that an investigation has been ongoing for some time into three other suspects linked to the attacks in the Netherlands.
“The Public Prosecution Service is in contact with the United States about the significance of this arrest for the ongoing investigation in the Netherlands,” the agency said in a statement.
The OM added that it does not rule out additional arrests in the case. It remains unclear whether the Netherlands will request al-Saadi’s extradition in connection with the alleged attacks in the country.
