Bat Yam Mayor Sues Iran for $68 Million After Manhattan Chase
The city seeks damages for 2025 missile strikes, with the lawsuit formally served on an Iranian diplomat in New York.
By Amina Yusuf ·
Tzvika Brot, mayor of Bat Yam, completed a legal maneuver in New York on Monday by personally serving an Iranian diplomat with a lawsuit. The document demands 250 million shekels, or roughly $68 million, in damages for missile attacks that struck the city in June 2025. The service was the culmination of a two-month planning effort dubbed Operation Open Account by city officials.
The lawsuit was filed with the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday, one day before the team arrived in New York. Because Israeli citizens cannot enter the Iranian diplomatic compound, the municipality relied on surveillance to identify a senior representative leaving for United Nations headquarters. Organizers prepared identification sketches in advance and selected a specific meeting point to ensure the documents were handed to the correct official.
Brot stated the city’s intent clearly: 'They sent us missiles, and we sent them a bill.' When the diplomat was spotted, the team moved in. The Iranian official reportedly attempted to walk away, leading to a chase through Manhattan streets. Brot and his associates followed until the mayor read the full contents of the lawsuit aloud, a step the municipality says formally advances the legal proceedings.
The financial claim stems from a missile barrage that killed nine residents and wounded 178 others. Approximately 160 buildings sustained damage, with 22 requiring immediate demolition. Thousands of residents were left homeless by the destruction. Brot decided to pursue the debt on the night of the attack, initiating a legal strategy that extends beyond the battlefield.
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner described the case as part of a wider financial campaign against the Iranian regime. She noted in a statement that the fight includes targeting bank accounts and assets. 'We will continue fighting on behalf of terror victims until we bring the ayatollahs' regime to its knees financially,' she said.
Iran has 60 days to submit a defense to the Jerusalem District Court. If no response is filed, Bat Yam can request a default judgment. The municipality acknowledges a practical challenge remains: collecting hundreds of millions of shekels from an enemy state. The legal process now moves into the next phase regardless of how the diplomatic relationship evolves.
