US judge fines Iran $2.65 billion for killing Marines in 1983 Beirut bombing
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iran must pay $2.65 billion to the family members of the 241 US servicemen killed in the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, a federal judge ruled Friday, calling it the largest-ever such judgment against another country.
Iran has been blamed for supporting the terrorist group Hizbullah, which carried out the suicide bombing in Beirut. It was the worst terrorist act against US targets until the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
"These individuals, whose hearts and souls were forever broken, waited patiently for nearly a quarter century for justice to be done," US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said as families embraced.
The ruling allows nearly 1,000 family members and estates to try to collect Iranian assets from various sources around the world.