Iran Terror Payout

⏱ 2 min read

Hundreds of victims of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, including those affected by the 1984 bombings of U.S. military facilities in Beirut, Lebanon, and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., will receive a payout of approximately $318 million. The payment is the result of a 17-year forfeiture litigation that exposed an Iranian government-owned bank’s secret interest in 650 Fifth Avenue, a 36-story commercial and office tower located in the heart of Manhattan. The litigation, which commenced in 2008, aimed to recover hidden Iranian government assets tied to the Manhattan skyscraper.

The settlement, announced by United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, will provide long-overdue compensation to victims and family members of those killed or injured in Iranian proxy terrorist organizations’ attacks against civilians, including U.S. citizens, in Israel and elsewhere. The payout is a significant recovery for the victims, who have waited nearly two decades for justice.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated that Iran has sponsored terrorism for decades and that the Department of Justice has been committed to vindicating the rights of victims of Iranian government-sponsored terrorism. The settlement is a result of the Office’s determined litigation to ensure that the hidden Iranian government assets would compensate victims of Iran-sponsored terrorism rather than terrorists and their enablers.