Victims of Iranian-Sponsored Terrorism Seek Restitution in Washington
In Washington, victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism and their families gathered to urge President Trump to insist on Iran paying restitution as part of any potential peace deal. This delegation includes over 100 individuals who have successfully sued Iran in U.S. courts for billions of dollars in damages. These damages relate to Iran’s involvement in significant terrorist attacks globally, such as the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. service members, as well as numerous suicide bombings that claimed American lives in Israel and elsewhere.
The organization, American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism United, stated in a letter to President Trump, “American victims have been entirely absent from the public and reported negotiating framework. Our request is clear and grounded in longstanding U.S. policy: no agreement, interim or long-term, should release, transfer, unfreeze, or return Iranian assets, or lift or relieve sanctions, before the outstanding terrorism judgments owed to American victims are resolved.”
The letter, led by Angela Mistrulli, represents over 20,000 American victims affected by Iran-backed terrorism. Mistrulli, whose father Joseph died in the 9/11 attacks, stressed, “If we can bankrupt terrorists, then there will be less American blood spilled. There should not be any funds returned to the terrorism regime.”
In recent developments, conflict with Iran has reignited, stalling initial peace talks. The effort comes midway through a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by President Trump and Iranian leaders on June 17. This MOU, influenced by Vice President JD Vance, proposes that Iran could access frozen assets and receive sanctions relief in return for opening maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and addressing nuclear threats. “If it doesn’t get done in 60 days, that’s all right. We go back to bombing,” stated President Trump.
Mistrulli highlighted that Iran, Syria, and North Korea have been ordered to pay up to $156 billion in judgments since Congress allowed terror victims to sue state sponsors. Notably, a U.S. District Court recently awarded $573 million to plaintiffs representing American service members harmed by Iranian-supported insurgencies in Iraq from 2003 to 2015. Another case targets Iran’s role in the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The process of collecting judgments has proven challenging, as state sponsors seldom pay willingly. To help, Congress established the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, compensating eligible victims using qualifying federal penalties and forfeitures. Aryeh Portnoy, an attorney for thousands of victims, noted that despite the fund’s efforts, only a fraction of judgments have been paid.
Portnoy attributes this shortfall to limited enforcement, legal disputes, and underfunding, adding, “There’s more work that needs to be done, but it can be done. Opportunities exist for the government, Congress, and the administration to assist these victims.” Emphasizing Iran’s role, Portnoy said, “Iran is by far the biggest state sponsor of terrorism and has been for the last four decades.”
A request for comment was sent to the Iranian Embassy in Washington, but no response was received.