(Image source from: AFP)
As the United States began a military action against Iran, a sinister plan to murder President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka was discovered in Washington. Ivanka, who acted as an advisor for Trump during his first term, was allegedly the target of an assassination plot by a terrorist trained by Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report from The New York Post. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi man recently sent back to the United States after being captured in Turkey on May 15, sought revenge for the death of his mentor due to US attacks. The 32-year-old had "committed" to taking Ivanka's life as payback for Trump ordering the death of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in a drone attack back in 2020. Soleimani, a prominent figure who led the IRGC's Quds Force, was killed in a drone strike close to Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.
Al-Saadi's commitment was serious. At the time of his arrest, he had a layout of Ivanka's house in Florida, as reported by sources from The New York Post. In 2021, Al-Saadi also shared a photo on X that featured a map highlighting the Florida neighborhood where Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, own a residence worth $24 million. Accompanying the image was a menacing message: "Revenge is simply a matter of time. " He said to Americans, "Look at this image and understand that neither your mansions nor the Secret Service can keep you safe. We are presently gathering information and observing," in a message that was originally in Arabic. After Soleimani’s death, Al-Saadi, who viewed him as a mentor, expressed to his aides his intention to "destroy Trump’s home. "
"Al-Saadi walked around claiming, 'we need to eliminate Ivanka to destroy Trump’s home just as he destroyed ours,'" said Entifadh Qanbar, a former military official at the Iraqi Embassy in Washington, to The Post. It remains unclear why Al-Saadi chose Ivanka as his target. It is important to mention that Trump’s eldest daughter, who is 44 years old, converted to Orthodox Judaism in 2009 before marrying real estate mogul Kushner. They have three kids together. Recently, Kushner has been playing a role as a special envoy in the Trump 2.0 administration, engaging in peace talks with Iran. This alarming information has brought Al-Saadi and his criminal background into the spotlight. Long on the United States’ radar, Al-Saadi is thought to be responsible for planning multiple attacks on US and Jewish interests, including the bombing of the Bank of New York Mellon in Amsterdam earlier this year in March.
He was reportedly linked to an incident where two Jewish individuals were stabbed in London in April, as well as a shooting at the US consulate in Toronto this year, according to the US Department of Justice. Along with being a member of Iran's IRGC, Al-Saadi also worked with Kata'ib Hizballah, an Iraqi Shia armed group supported by Iran. The US has classified Kata'ib Hizballah as a terrorist group. So, what made Al-Saadi form such a close bond with Soleimani that he would consider plans to harm the President's daughter? To understand this, we need to explore his background and early life. Al-Saadi was born in Baghdad and primarily brought up by his Iraqi mother. His father, Ahmad Kazemi, served as a general in the Iranian army. At a young age, he moved to Tehran to receive training from the IRGC, which operates under the Supreme Leader and is distinct from the regular Iranian army. However, in 2006, the family faced a tragedy when Al-Saadi's father passed away. Following this, as stated by Qanbar, Soleimani became a crucial source of support and mentorship for Al-Saadi. They developed a close relationship, and Al-Saadi regarded him as a father figure. The unexpected death of Soleimani due to US attacks deeply affected Al-Saadi, which is when he began to consider the plan to target Ivanka.
