The U.S. Department of Justice will be authorizing at least $2 billion in payments for all eligible United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund claims by Jan. 1, 2026. This will be the sixth round of payments, and potential new claimants can submit applications through June 1.
The fund compensates individuals, or the representatives of deceased individuals, who hold a final U.S. District Court judgment awarding compensatory damages. Judgments must concern a foreign state sponsor of terrorism found not immune from U.S. court jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. This round of payments is from qualifying federal enforcement actions and the termination of the Beirut barracks/Khobar Tower reserve fund.
“It is a privilege for the (Justice Department’s) Criminal Division to administer the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which has provided more than $7 billion to victims of state sponsored terrorism since its founding,” Matthew Galeotti, Criminal Division head, said. “Today’s announcement of a distribution of at least $2 billion to victims in 2026 is the largest general distribution in the fund’s history and will make a significant difference in victims’ lives. Victims are at the heart of everything we do at the Criminal Division, and we are proud to support them through our administration of the fund.”