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Washington: The Iranian government has been found guilty of financing a 1996 terror attack in Saudi Arabia which killed 19 Americans and must pay $254 million to the victim’s families, a federal judge ruled on Friday.
The ruling by US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth allows families of the victims of the Khobar Towers bombing to seek their compensation from assets that have been seized from the conservative Islamic regime in Tehran.
US authorities have long alleged that the bombing was carried out by a Saudi wing of Hezbollah, which receives support from Iran and Syria.
Even though Lamberth previously ruled that a survivor could seek payment from Iran, this ruling was the first time Iran had been blamed for the deaths.
He wrote, "The defendants also provided money, training and travel documents to Saudi Hezbollah members in order to facilitate the attacks."
Lamberth added, "Moreover, the sheer gravity and nature of the attack demonstrate the defendants' unlawful intent to inflict severe emotional distress upon the American servicemen as well as their close relatives."
The lawsuit was brought by the families of 17 of the 19 people killed in the attack. Iran never responded to the lawsuit, did not send an attorney to appear in the case and isn't expected to pay the award.
Iran has denied any connection to the bombing of the Khobar Towers and has rejected US allegations of its involvement as "unfounded."
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