American of Lebanese Descent on Trial for "Terrorism on Behalf of Hezbollah"

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Lebanese-American Haadi Matar with "terrorism on behalf of Hezbollah" for attempting to kill American-British author Salman Rushdie in New York in August 2022. The department stated in a press release that "Haadi Matar, by attempting to kill Salman Rushdie in New York in 2022, committed an act of terrorism on behalf of Hezbollah, the terrorist organization linked to the Iranian regime." The 26-year-old Matar is currently on trial in a local court in New York but has also been federally charged with three counts, including "supporting a foreign terrorist organization," according to a court document issued on July 17, announced by the federal court for Western New York on Wednesday.