US must pay $50 billion for Soleimani's killing, Iranian court demands

An Iranian court has ordered the United States government to pay damages of $50 billion for the killing of the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, according to Iran International. Other judicial officials also demanded an apology. 

The legal action was allegedly driven by over 3,000 plaintiffs, who claimed damages as a result of the commander’s death.

The commander was killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad airport in 2020. Donald Trump, who was the president at the time of the strike, said that Soleimani had been planning an attack on US diplomats and service members in the Middle East and that the IRGC commander had been "directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people.”

Iran International cited Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s comments, made in January, which barred 60 US officials from Iran in connection with the death.

Other fines against the US

An additional Iranian court ordered that the US pay $330 million USD for “planning a coup,” The New Arab reported in August. The relatives of people who died in the actions had allegedly been the ones to petition the court.

The “coup” attempt had allegedly been planned by the US in 1980 in response to the Islamic regime’s takeover in the year prior.

The court ruled in their favor, ordering "the American government to pay the plaintiffs $30 million in material and moral damages, and $300 million in punitive damages."

"[The American] objective was to seize control of military bases across the country and target strategic centers and residences of the revolution's leaders. However, their efforts were thwarted," Iranian state News IRNA said.