US Court Holds Iran, North Korea Liable for October 7 Attacks

A U.S. federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia has found Iran and North Korea legally responsible for materially supporting terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, that carried out the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The ruling was issued by Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema.

According to the court's order, Iran provided funding, weapons, intelligence, and operational assistance to those involved in preparing the terrorist attacks. Regarding North Korea, the court accepted the plaintiffs' evidence that Pyongyang provided military training, weaponry, weapon components, and assistance in constructing underground infrastructure to militants from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. The ruling specifically noted that in the early 2000s, North Korean military specialists participated in creating a network of underground structures and tunnels in southern Lebanon, technology later used by terrorist organizations, including in the October 7 attack.

The lawsuit was filed by 47 U.S. citizens, including military personnel, civilians, and relatives of those killed or injured in seven terrorist attacks between 2019 and 2023 in Iraq, Kenya, Syria, and Israel. Claims directly related to the October 7 attack were brought by Bernadette and Nir Brauner, who suffered severe psychological and physical trauma.

The court ruled that Iran and North Korea bear joint liability to the plaintiffs for the consequences of their support for terrorist organizations. The decision was made by default, as Iran and North Korea were officially notified of the lawsuit but did not present a defense. U.S. law does not allow automatic satisfaction of such claims against foreign states; the court must independently establish sufficient legal and factual grounds for the plaintiffs' demands. Judge Brinkema concluded that such grounds were presented.