Lawsuit Seeks Justice for American Victims of Terrorism and Seeks to Hold Iran and North Korea Accountable for their Alleged Role in Attacks on U.S. Servicemembers and Civilians

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sparacino PLLC filed an anti-terrorism federal lawsuit today against Defendants Iran and North Korea on behalf of dozens of American service members, U.S. government contractors, civilians, and their family members, who were killed or injured in seven separate terrorist attacks while serving the United States in Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Kenya between 2019 and 2023. This lawsuit appears to be the first-ever case of its kind filed against either Iran or North Korea in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The lawsuit alleges that while these individuals were working to rebuild post-war Iraq, defeat ISIS in Syria, and support key American allies such as Kenya and Israel, they were attacked by terrorists who received material support and resources from Iran and North Korea. As alleged, the seven terrorist attacks were carried out by the "Axis of Resistance"—a global terrorist alliance of Iran's proxies and agents, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hizballah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, and others, including North Korean-backed groups. The lawsuit also alleges that material support or resources for the terrorist attacks were provided by Iran and North Korea through these groups, including supplying arms for attacks, training terrorists how to attack Americans, and providing incentive payments and other financing to terrorists for killing and maiming Americans.

The lawsuit asserts these Iranian terrorist sponsors and their North Korean allies sought to use terrorism to undermine American foreign policy, including attempting to coerce U.S. government decisionmakers in the U.S. Department of Defense at the Pentagon, which is located in the Eastern District of Virginia. As alleged, Iran and North Korea sourced funds, intelligence, and technologies from, among other places, the Eastern District of Virginia, which enabled their terrorist attacks.

"As alleged, Iran and North Korea are responsible for these attacks because they provided material support, weapons, and training to terrorist organizations that targeted U.S. servicemembers, and government contractors deployed with them, who paid the ultimate sacrifice," said Sparacino PLLC's Managing Partner, Ryan Sparacino. "As alleged, Iran and North Korea's collaboration within the 'Axis of Resistance' equipped and financed terrorist groups such as the IRGC, Hizballah, Kataib Hizballah, Hamas, and al-Qaeda, all of whom callously perpetrated these atrocities."

The American victims seek justice against Iran and North Korea under the terrorism exception of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which authorizes any U.S. national, member of the armed forces, U.S. government employee or contractor, or legal representative of such person to recover against a designated State Sponsor of Terrorism for personal injury or death caused by an act of extrajudicial killing, aircraft sabotage, or hostage taking, or the provision of material support or resources to such act, by an official, employee, or agent of the state. The lawsuit alleges that the victims' injuries resulting from the seven terrorist attacks at issue were reasonably foreseeable or natural consequences of Iran's and North Korea's conduct.

Raj Parekh, the former Acting United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), joined Sparacino PLLC as a partner last month to chair the firm's EDVA national security practice. "The anti-terrorism work that we are privileged to do allows us to give a voice to those whose lives were shattered by acts of horrific violence and to ensure the pain the victims endured is never forgotten," said Parekh. "We fight not only for legal victory, but for the affirmation that justice will always rise above fear."

The U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund ("the Fund") provides financial compensation to American citizens who have been harmed by acts of terrorism sponsored by foreign governments. Established by Congress under the Justice for U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Act of 2015, the Fund supports victims with successful legal claims under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) against designated State Sponsors of Terrorism, including Iran, North Korea, and others. The Fund provides compensation to individuals (or personal representatives of deceased individuals) who hold a final judgment issued by a United States District Court awarding the individual compensatory damages. Since the Fund's establishment in 2015, it has paid over $7 billion to eligible victims. The Fund aims to help alleviate the financial impact on victims while providing a measure of justice for their suffering.

Sparacino PLLC, a D.C.-based litigation and investigations firm, represents over 4,000 Americans—including more than 1,000 Gold Star families—who were injured in terrorist attacks committed by foreign terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. On behalf of those victims, the firm aggressively pursues claims in litigation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, as amended in 2016 by the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, against the corporations and individuals who choose to do business with terrorists. The firm also pursues claims against state sponsors of terrorism under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The firm has already helped a substantial number of victims of Hizballah and terrorist groups in Iraq since 2003 and of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan since 2001. The firm has deep experience with national security issues and high-stakes litigation and intends to continue to seek justice for Americans in anti-terrorism litigation and expand its anti-trafficking, whistleblower, and commercial litigation practices.

The case is captioned Alkhalili, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran and Democratic People's Republic of Korea, No. 1:25-cv-601 (E.D. Va.).

The Complaint is available at: https://terrorismcase.com/alkhalili

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SOURCE Sparacino PLLC