Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, was allegedly the target of an assassination plot linked to an Iraqi operative with ties to Iran-backed networks, according to a report published by The New York Post.
The allegations come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with reports suggesting the Trump administration is also weighing possible fresh military strikes against Iran. The alleged plot is said to have been linked to revenge over the 2020 US drone strike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
According to the report, the suspect has been identified as Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi national accused of operating on behalf of the Iran-backed militia Kata’ib Hezbollah and maintaining ties with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The New York Post reported that investigators allegedly recovered a blueprint of Ivanka Trump’s Florida residence from Al-Saadi. The suspect had also 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 had repeatedly spoken about killing Ivanka Trump “to burn down the house of Trump the way he burned down our house.”
Suspect arrested in Turkey, extradited to US
According to the report, Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey on May 15 before being extradited to the United States.
US authorities have accused him of involvement in 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and North America, including alleged shootings, firebombings, stabbings, and attacks targeting Jewish locations and American diplomatic facilities.
Researcher and former hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov reportedly told the newspaper that the suspect had close ties with Soleimani and later with Esmail Qaani, who succeeded Soleimani after his killing.
Investigators also alleged that Al-Saadi used an Iraqi service passport and operated through a travel agency to move between countries and coordinate activities. Despite the alleged covert operations, he reportedly maintained an active social media presence, posting photographs from European cities and images involving weapons systems.
The suspect is currently being held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to the report.
Fresh Iran strike discussions add to tensions
The report surfaced as CBS News reported that the Trump administration was preparing contingency plans for possible military strikes against Iran.
CBS News, citing sources familiar with the matter, said no final decision had been taken. However, several officials within the US military and intelligence establishment were said to have cancelled Memorial Day weekend plans amid the evolving situation.
Trump himself is now expected to remain in Washington during the holiday weekend.
According to CBS News and Politico, the US President has cancelled plans to spend the weekend at his New Jersey golf property and will instead return to the White House following engagements in New York.
Trump also confirmed that he would miss his son Donald Trump Jr’s wedding to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, citing ongoing international developments.
Speaking to reporters, Trump described the timing as “not good timing because of a thing called Iran and other things.”