▁family ▁of ▁Y ael ▁Bot vin , ▁a ▁U . S . ▁citiz en , ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁against ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁Republic ▁of ▁Iran . ▁ ▁A ▁default ▁judgment ▁of ▁$ 2 5 1 ▁million ▁in ▁compens atory ▁and ▁pun itive ▁dam ages ▁was ▁awarded ▁to ▁the ▁relatives ▁of ▁Americans ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁attack . ▁There ▁were ▁few ▁assets ▁of ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁government ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁following ▁the ▁judgment . ▁The ▁pla int iffs ▁threatened ▁to ▁se ize ▁valuable ▁Pers ian ▁artifact s ▁located ▁in ▁Chicago ▁museum s ▁and ▁sell ▁them ▁for ▁proceed s , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁Chicago ' s ▁Pers ian ▁her itage ▁crisis , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁su ing ▁the ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁Bank ▁M elli ▁Iran ▁in ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁but ▁having ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Justice ▁speak ▁as ▁am icus ▁cur iae ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁Bank ▁M elli , ▁advis ing ▁that ▁the ▁bank ▁had ▁no ▁responsibility ▁for ▁turning ▁the ▁funds ▁over , ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁r uling ▁against ▁the ▁students . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁five ▁U . S . ▁families ▁who ▁were ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁Iran - back ed ▁suic ide ▁bomb ing ▁were ▁awarded ▁$ 9 ▁million ▁in ▁federal ▁court . ▁▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁two ▁suic ide ▁bom bers ▁det on ated ▁themselves ▁on ▁Ben ▁Ye h uda ▁Street