In a landmark ruling, a Tehran court has mandated the United States government to compensate nearly $50 billion for the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, a revered Iranian military figure, nearly four years ago. The court’s decision, delivered on Wednesday, stems from a drone strike near Baghdad airport authorized by then-US President Donald Trump.
General Soleimani, leading the Quds Force, Iran’s foreign operations arm, held significant influence and was considered a national hero due to his role in Iran’s Middle East operations and his valor in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988).
The Strike , occurring on January 3, 2020, resulted in the death of General Soleimani and his Iraqi counterpart Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Iran responded days later by launching missiles at bases housing American and coalition troops in Iraq, causing traumatic brain injuries to numerous personnel.
Mizan Online, the Iranian judiciary’s news agency, reported that the Tehran court’s judgment comprises $49.7 billion in “material, moral, and punitive damages.” The lawsuit, representing over 3,300 Iranians, found 42 individuals and entities culpable, including Trump, the US government, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
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This ruling follows a series of compensation orders against the US by Iranian courts. Last month, an Iranian court directed the US government to pay $420 million for a 1980 hostage rescue operation, and in August, Tehran demanded $330 million for alleged US involvement in planning a coup in 1980.
Notably, the US has also secured multi-billion-dollar compensation rulings against Iran. In 2016, the US Supreme Court mandated the release of frozen Iranian assets to victims of attacks attributed to Tehran, despite Iran’s denial of responsibility for these incidents.
Tensions persist as both nations lack diplomatic relations since the aftermath of the 1979 revolution. In March, the International Court of Justice deemed Washington’s freezing of nearly $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets “manifestly unreasonable” but lacked jurisdiction to unblock the funds.
This latest verdict further complicates the already strained relationship between Iran and the United States, with legal battles over historical events adding to the geopolitical complexities.
VOTP news would continue to bring Verified Reports on this developing story.
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