Although Iran denies any connection to 9/11, it was included in the list of alleged culprits by the US District Court in New York, along with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas and al Qaeda, which took credit for the massive terror attack.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is also named.
However, the money, awarded for economic, personal and punitive damages for a total of $6,048,513,805, is unlikely to be recovered.
Iran is in a tense standoff with the United States over multiple issues, especially its nuclear industry and alleged plan to build an atomic weapon. Iranian-backed Hezbollah has no relations with the United States.
Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who is also named, was killed by US Navy SEALs in a raid inside Pakistan in 2011. The Taliban are in an active war with US-led troops across Afghanistan.
The ruling caps a series of court decisions prompted by lawsuits filed by families of 47 victims from among the nearly 3,000 killed on 9/11.
Last year, Judge George Daniels signed a judgment in favor of the plaintiffs. A magistrate then calculated the recommended compensation, which Daniels on Wednesday approved in his ruling.
Bin Laden and al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which hijacked airliners were used to bring down the World Trade Center towers in New York and to crash into the Pentagon near Washington, DC.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan at the time and were giving shelter to al Qaeda. Iran was blamed by the US court partly because some of the hijackers passed through the country on their way to carrying out the attacks.
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This is just a formality, but even then, its amazing that Saudi Arabia wasn't named when the attackers were Saudi and were financed by KSA.
@Hassan: That is a different issue my friend. The world shouldn't have nuclear weapons, but it isn't happening any time soon.
Just laugh and save your laughter for a moment when you hear the news that the same judge has been awarded the Noble prize for judgement ...
@Thomas
Yes they can put sanctions and all. But thats already in place for iran. US should realize that they can't stop others from making nuclear weapons while they are themselves creating and distributing it.
@Hassan:
You don't seem to have much grasp of the Law. Everything that these defendends own in any part of the world can be attached. Iran or Lebanon maynot obey the order but these countries and defendends have assets in the U.S and other parts of the world, that will be attached.
Look who is talking who will pay the victims of drone attacks and kilings in Iraq and Afghanista The judge should also give judgement on these as well and after that NATO & US can save the face.
Cowboy justice in the wild west. Mos americans are fairly dumb. They would not know the difference between arabs and Iranians or saudi and Iran
US now seeking help from IRANAID ....
It's largely symbolic - but it's difficult to do international business without eventually encountering the wide net of USA financial institutions - Iran may yet end up having some assets seized.
seems like USA is collecting funds for coming elections..
ok so 6 billion for 3000 .... mean $2 million each .. ok US here is the deal .. pay us 80 billion $ for directly/indirectly killing 40000 Pakistani's .. we will pay you 6 billion $ back ...
This US judge neither knows geography or History. Heck he does not even know the hijackers were mostly from KSA and took aviation training in the US. Or is he just mistaking Iran for KSA. Either way he is in the wrong. US is making fool of itself having a judge delivering such a childish judgement.
Looks like the Court wants to balance out what US owe to Iran. Courts and Judges are of the same material across the world.
Than US should also compensate people who were killed with their own plot of 9/11. Wat about people of Pakistan, Afghanistan & Iraq who were killed by US?
world is going insane !
The jurisdiction of US court is bound within US. These orders have no significance since they cannot be implemented.
How about Afghan court ordering US to get the heck our of Afghanistan and pay $60 billion for innocent people killed by US army?
Hmmmm....and who will pay the victims of drone attacks, kilings in Iraq and Afghanistan...The judge should also give judgement on these as well
How about asking SAUDI ARABIA to pay.