Iran‑backed militia commander Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al‑Saadi entered a not‑guilty plea on Monday in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors say the case could expand to include more defendants as investigators trace a network behind 18 terrorist attacks across Europe tied to Tehran’s retaliation for the Israel‑U.S. war. The hearing marked his second appearance since Turkey transferred him to U.S. custody.

The government links al‑Saadi to Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia proxy for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps that has supported attacks on diplomatic sites. Prosecutor Sarah L. Kushner told Judge Colleen McMahon the indictment may be supplemented, citing propaganda videos and recorded calls with an undercover officer posing as a Mexican cartel member discussing a plot against a New York synagogue.

Judge Colleen McMahon pressed Kushner for a trial schedule; the prosecutor estimated at least a year, citing classified material and overseas investigations. Defense attorney Andrew Dalack warned that al‑Saadi endures solitary confinement and faces impending special administrative measures that would further restrict communication. The case represents one of the highest‑ranking Iran‑linked arrests since the conflict began, underscoring Washington’s focus on curbing Tehran’s extraterritorial operations.