Tehran Judiciary Sentences 73 US Officials to Pay $9bn for Killing Soleimani

Tehran's judiciary chief Ali Alghasi-Mehr announced that the Criminal Court of Tehran has sentenced the US government and officials to pay a total of $9 billion over the targeted killing of Ghasem Soleimani and sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Alghasi-Mehr alsos aid that 73 US officials were notified to announce legal representation for the court proceedings concerning the case of IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

On January 3, 2020, President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport that resulted in the death of Soleimani. The US justified the action by claiming Soleimani was actively planning attacks against American diplomats and military personnel in Iraq and the broader region.

Last year, Iran's judiciary said it has identified 97 suspects in the killing of Soleimani, including former US President, Donald Trump.Mohammad Mosaddegh, Deputy Chief of Iran's Judiciary, announced on Wednesday that "legal measures have been initiated against 73 Americans" including Trump and former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.

Soleimani, who held a prominent role in Iran's military and intelligence operations abroad, oversaw the support and coordination of various militant proxy groups, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Shiite militias in Iraq, which frequently targeted US forces.

Starting in January 2021, Tehran openly indicated its readiness to carry out deadly missions within the United States to seek revenge for the killing. It consistently singled out Trump, Pompeo, and former CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie as top-priority targets for potential retaliation.

In 2022, late President Ebrahim Raisi told the UN that Donald Trump should face trial for his role in the Soleimani killing, and this year, continues to call for "vengeance" to the military man's killers.