IRGC-linked operative accused of plotting assassination of Ivanka Trump: Report
Washington DC [US], May 23 (HBTV): Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, was allegedly targeted in an assassination plot by an Iraqi operative reportedly trained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a report by the New York Post.
The suspect, identified as Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, allegedly sought revenge for the 2020 US drone strike ordered by Trump during his earlier term that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
According to the report, Al-Saadi possessed a blueprint of Ivanka Trump's Florida residence and allegedly posted online threats warning Americans that ‘neither your palaces nor the Secret Service will protect you.’
Former Iraqi diplomat Entifadh Qanbar told the newspaper that Al-Saadi repeatedly spoke of killing Ivanka Trump ‘to burn down the house of Trump the way he burned down our house.’
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 American diplomatic facilities.
The report stated that Al-Saadi operated on behalf of the Iran-backed militia Kata'ib Hezbollah and maintained close ties with the IRGC. Researcher and former hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov reportedly said the suspect had close connections to Soleimani and later to his successor, Esmail Qaani.
Investigators also alleged that Al-Saadi used an Iraqi service passport and a travel agency as cover to move between countries and coordinate with terror cells. Despite his alleged covert role, he frequently posted on social media, sharing selfies from European landmarks and images involving weapons systems.
Al-Saadi is currently being held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as US authorities continue their investigation, according to the New York Post.
Meanwhile, the administration of President Donald Trump was on Friday (local time) reportedly preparing for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran, sources with direct knowledge of the planning told CBS News.
No final decision on strikes had been reached, the sources said.
Several members of the US military and intelligence community were also reported to have cancelled their Memorial Day weekend plans amid speculation over possible military action.
According to CBS News, Trump had planned to spend the Memorial Day weekend at his golf property in New Jersey but was expected to return to the White House instead.
Trump on Friday (local time) said he would miss his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding due to ongoing international developments.
Trump confirmed that he would not attend his son's wedding to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, citing ‘circumstances pertaining to government’ without providing further details. He added that ‘it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time.’
Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that his son's wedding was ‘not good timing’ because of ‘a thing called Iran and other things.’
He was also expected to return to the White House on Friday evening after delivering a speech in New York. He had originally planned to spend the weekend at his New Jersey golf club and return on Sunday, according to Politico.
(ANI)