“We have to kill Ivanka…”: Why did Iran’s terror plot kill US President Donald Trump’s daughter? | Today’s news
Authorities recently detained 32-year-old Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national allegedly trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in connection with the reported assassination of US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, according to a New York Post report.
Citing sources, The New York Post said he had vowed to avenge the 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and was found with a blueprint of Ivanka Trump’s Florida residence.
The alleged plan was to target the Trump family in retaliation for Soleimani’s death, the New York Post reported.
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“After Qassem was killed, (Al-Saadi) went around telling people ‘we have to kill Ivanka to burn down Trump’s house like he burned down our house,'” Entifadh Qanbar, a former deputy military attaché at the Iraqi embassy in Washington, told The Post.
“We heard he had plans for Ivanka’s house in Florida,” Qanbar added.
However, investigators have not determined why Al-Saadi specifically chose Ivanka Trump as an alleged target.
Ivanka, now 44, converted to Orthodox Judaism in 2009 before marrying real estate mogul Jared Kushner, and the couple have three children. Kushner, who serves as a special envoy in the Trump administration, has recently been involved in diplomatic negotiations regarding Iran.
Who was Dawood Al-Saadi?
Al-Saadi is suspected of orchestrating numerous attacks against American and Jewish targets, including the bombing of the Bank of New York Mellon branch in Amsterdam earlier this year, in March.
The Iraqi national was arrested in Turkey on May 15 before being extradited to the United States. Authorities accuse him of involvement in 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and North America, including alleged firebombings, shootings, stabbings and attacks targeting Jewish sites and US diplomatic facilities.
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The report said Al-Saadi operated on behalf of the Iranian-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militia and maintained close ties to the IRGC. Researcher and former hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov reportedly said the suspect had close ties to Soleimani and later to his successor Esmail Qaani.
Investigators also say Al-Saadi used an Iraqi service passport and a travel agency as a cover to move between countries and coordinate with terrorist cells. Despite his alleged covert role, he frequently posted on social media, sharing selfies of European landmarks and images involving weapons systems.
Where is Al-Saadi now?
Al-Saadi is currently being held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while US authorities continue their investigation, the New York Post reports.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s administration was preparing for a new round of military strikes against Iran on Friday (local time), sources with direct knowledge of the planning told CBS News.
No final decision on the strikes has been reached, sources told CBS News.
Several members of the US military and intelligence community are said to have canceled their plans for the Memorial Day weekend after reports of possible attacks.
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According to CBS News, Trump had planned to spend Memorial Day weekend at his golf estate in New Jersey, but will now return to the White House, CBS News reports.
Trump said on Friday (local time) that he will miss his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. due to ongoing upheavals in the international community.
Trump confirmed he would not attend his son’s wedding to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, citing “circumstances involving the government” without giving details, adding that “it is important for me to remain in Washington, DC, in the White House during this important time.”
Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that his son’s wedding was not “ill-timed” because of “things called Iran and other things.”
He is also now expected to return to the White House on Friday night after a speech in New York. He was originally scheduled to spend the weekend at his golf club in New Jersey and return on Sunday, according to Politico.
(With input from agencies)
