Federal Trial Tests Whether Rushdie Stabbing Was Transnational Terrorism

Hadi Matar's federal terrorism trial began July 22, 2026, in Buffalo. Prosecutors seek to tie his 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie to Hezbollah and Iran's 1989 fatwa using journal entries, an Iran-based contact, and propaganda videos. Matar was already convicted of attempted murder in state court. A federal conviction could mean life imprisonment. Iran denies involvement.